On Mar. 20, K体育 University welcomed author, educator and alumna Aline Mello ’12 back to campus to headline the second installment of the “K体育 Out Loud” live poetry event. Her readings鈥攑assionate, introspective and defiant鈥攄rew a crowd and created a sense of intimate camaraderie among the attendees.
President Kathryn McClymond opened the event, offering her gratitude to Leah Hughes ’88,聽whose generous donation established the “K体育 Out Loud” series. Organized each year by the English and Comparative Literature department, this event brings esteemed poets to campus to expand K体育 students鈥� exposure to contemporary creative writers.
Mello was introduced to the crowd by Senior Lecturer in Core Studies Dr. James Iredell who hosted the author in his class the day before. There, Mello discussed her journey as a writer and offered advice on her craft as a published author.
Mello鈥檚 selections at the live reading included pieces from her first published poetry collection 鈥淢ore Salt than Diamond,鈥� a powerful expression of the struggles she experienced as a young Brazilian growing up in the American South. And though her work was colored by an enduring sense of estrangement, she left the audience with a powerful sentiment: “I am here.”
After the reading, Mello mingled with attendees and signed copies of her poetry collection for several excited students who connected deeply with her work.
That sense of connection and inspiration is precisely what makes “K体育 Out Loud” such a powerful event鈥攑articularly for students. Whether looking to gain inspiration from an accomplished writer, insight into someone else’s life, or simply to revel in the spoken word for a moment, this important series brings people together under a mutual love for creativity and self-expression.
View photos from this year’s K体育 Out Loud event below.
