Pat Eliet Lecture Series Features Harryette Mullen, Acclaimed Poet and Scholar of African American Literature

(Carson, CA) – The Department of English at California State University, Dominguez Hills welcomes Harryette Mullen, distinguished poet and scholar of African American literature, as its guest speaker for the 2010 Pat Eliet Memorial Lecture on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Loker Student Union.

Mullen is the author of six volumes of poetry, including “Sleeping with the Dictionary” (2002), which was nominated for the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, and Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her most recent collection, “Recyclopedia” (2006), won a PEN Beyond Margins Award in 2007. Mullen is a professor of English at UCLA, where she teaches creative writing and African American literature.

Harryette Mullen

Discussing the importance of the spoken word in an interview for the African American Review in 2000, she said: "It was through the poetry-[reading] circuit that I began to realize that poetry is not just something on the page, but a community of readers and writers." The lecture is free and open to the public, with a book signing immediately following. Copies of Mullen’s books will be available for purchase before and after the lecture. The lecture series honors former professor of English Patricia Eliet, who taught at the university from 1969 to 1990.

The lecture is sponsored by the Department of English, Associated Students Incorporated, College of Arts and Humanities, and the University Honors Program.

California State University, Dominguez Hill is located at 1000 E. Victoria Street in Carson. The Loker Student Union is at the center of campus. A map of the campus is available online at www.csudh.edu/site/VisitUs/campusmap.shtml.

Convenient on-campus parking is available near Loker Student Union. Enter from Toro Center Drive off University Drive, or from Tamcliff Street or Birchknoll Drive off Victoria Street. Daily permits are $4 and can be purchased at kiosk machines located at each lot.

For more information, contact the Department of English at (310) 243-3322. ###

About CSU Dominguez Hills -- California State University, Dominguez Hills is a highly diverse, urban university located in the South Bay, primarily serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The university prides itself on its outstanding faculty and friendly, student-centered environment. Known for excellence in teacher education, nursing, psychology, business administration, and digital media arts, new degree programs include computer science, criminal justice, recreation and leisure studies, social work, and communication disorders. On campus is the Home Depot Center, a multi-purpose sports complex that hosts world-class soccer, tennis, track and field, lacrosse, and cycling.

Media Contact: Laura Perdew (310)243-3264 lperdew@csudh.edu