Poet Le Hinton kicked off the Hard Freight Cafe on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in the Titelman Study of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. Hinton’s newest work focuses on the role of cotton in our country’s history. As Chancellor Lori Bechtel-Wherry observed in her recent State of the College address, “Hinton is exploring the way race and identity are woven into the fabric of our culture—literally.” As he read his poems, Hinton handed out cotton bolls to audience members, remarking that most people are not familiar with the plant itself.
Hinton’s reading was followed by open mic literary and musical performances by students, faculty, and community members. Several students shared their essays inspired by this year’s Common Read book,Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger.
The next Hard Freight Cafe open mic will be held Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. Students interested in serving on the Hard Freight literary magazine staff may register for ENGL 209, a one-credit experiential course that may be taken up to eight times.
(L-R) Stephen McKnight, ABCD Corp president/CEO, Matt Pacifico, Altoona mayor, Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, Penn State Altoona chancellor and dean, Michael Fiore, Leonard S. Fiore Inc president/CEO, and John Radionoff, Discover Development LLC partner, cut the ribbon during the Penn Building's formal dedication.
