Mexican American award-winning poet and writer Gilbert Arzola delivers annual Bothe Poetry Reading

Mexican American award-winning poet and writer Gilbert Arzola delivers McDaniel's 35th annual B. Christopher Bothe Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, March 26. Organized by McDaniel's English department, the poetry reading takes place at 7:30 p.m., in Coley Rice Lounge, McDaniel Hall, and is free and open to the public.

Arzola is a first-generation Mexican American from Northwest Indiana and the second son of a former migrant worker. He was named “Poet of the Year” by Passager Press in 2019 and his debut collection, "Prayers of Little Consequence,” was published in 2020. According to Passager, it includes "poems about growing up poor and Mexican in an all-white neighborhood as well as poems about family, the self, and people in his life he has lost."

Published by Rattle in 2021, his “The Death of a Migrant Worker” "is a gift and monument of words to Gil's parents. It is a way of saying 'these people passed through this way' and here's what they did."

His story "Losers Walk," originally published by Chaleur Magazine, was nominated for a Pushcart Award in 2018 and his poem "Richard Smith" was nominated in 2022. His work has also appeared in Whetstone, Palabra, Crosswinds, The Tipton Review, Slab, Craft, The Acentos Review, and The Elysian Review, among others.

The annual B. Christopher Bothe Memorial Lecture brings a distinguished visiting writer to McDaniel’s campus for one day to meet with student writers and to give a public reading and lecture. B. Christopher Bothe, a member of the class of 1972, was a poet, award-winning journalist, and printer who died in 1984. Bothe’s family and friends developed the lecture in his memory in 1987. For more information about the event, call 410-857-2530.

Additional information:

• Requests for ASL interpreters are welcome and should be made as soon as possible (two weeks prior to the event preferred) by contacting the specific event organizer.
• Other accommodation requests and questions can be directed to Conference Services at 410-857-2407. Visitors are asked to adhere to all health and safety policies and regulations in effect at the time of the event.