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The Wellspring Literary Series recently finished its 13^th year with another full audience, who came out on a chilly early spring evening to enjoy performances by featured poet Alise Alousi from Detroit, as well as two student poets, Brenna Dean from Central Michigan University and Mount Pleasant High School senior Bea Chapman. The event also featured music by a string sextet featuring CMU Music students LeNae Hostetler (violin), JoLee Hurren (violin), Joshua Mueller (viola), Zoe Beaumont (viola), Gavin Frody (cello), and Hannah Broersma (cello).

A popular collaboration between the CMU English Department and Art Reach of Mid Michigan, Wellspring was created to bring prominent and emerging writers from all around Michigan to read their work along with students in the Master of Arts Creative Writing program. There are four Wellspring readings a year, and these free events typically fill the nearly 100-seats in the Morey Family Gallery at Art Reach and also feature complimentary pizza from Pisanello’s.

Wellspring Literary Series founder and host Robert Fanning, a Professor of English, was very excited with the turnout and the return of the series, featuring a 3-year pandemic hiatus. “Lots of folks told me how great it was to have Wellspring back this year,” Fanning said. “I love how it  provides our community the chance to come together and be inspired by the healing power of poetry and music.”

Alousi read recent unpublished poems along with work from her 2024 book What to Count, which students in Fanning’s Graduate Poetry Seminar are reading for class.

This year’s series featured Andrew Collard from Detroit, CMU alumnus and retired University of Michigan professor Keith Taylor, and former Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids Linda Nemec Foster, before closing with Alousi.

"Getting to hear Alise Alousi read her poems in person was amazing,” said event attendee Megan Monroe, a Milan Senior pursuing a Minor in Creative Writing as well as an Accelerated MA in Creaative Writing. “Her voice brought so much emotion and depth to the work we'd read in class. Her poetry is insightful, moving, and interesting to read, and hearing it directly from her made it hit even harder. She was so kind, funny, and full of energy—it made the whole event very engaging and unforgettable."

Brenna Dean, an MA in Creative Writing student from Saginaw was one of the evening’s featured readers.

“I’ve always gotten nervous before reading my poems in front of others,” she said, “but the atmosphere at Wellspring was so upbeat and encouraging that I mostly felt at ease and excited to read. It was an fun night, and the musicians and poets were incredible!”

The Wellspring Literary Series will return in the Fall for its 14^th year, so stay tuned to the CMU English Department event webpage for information about the Wellspring Literary Series and many other events throughout the year.