A reading last year by UWindsor writer-in-residence Cecily Nicholson reminded student Shannon Pearce why she decided to take a degree in literature in the first place.

In a class assignment, Pearce recounts her experience attending Nicholson’s appearance at Mackenzie Hall in March 2020. What made the biggest impression on Pearce was the reaction of her partner, a computer science major she thought had little interest in poetry.

“His face told a story of a profound learning experience,” she writes. “I had never seen him so enthralled before.”

She says she found her self thinking about all the poetry should could introduce him to before realizing he didn’t need to understand scansion and alliteration.

“He was experiencing something that I had forgotten how to do all together: he was just enjoying poetry,” says Pearce.

The moment was an epiphany, reminding her of her own love of poetry.

“All in all, it was the single most emotionally engaging academic experience I’ve ever had,” Pearce concludes, “and I’m very, very grateful for that.”

Nicholson will conduct a public reading as her inaugural event as writer-in-residence at 7 p.m. tonight — Monday, Feb. 22. Admission is free and accessible through any web browser; click here to attend.