Natasha Trethewey served two terms as the 19^th Poet Laureate of the United States (2012-2014). Her first two appearances at ECU, as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, were presented to full audiences. This time, she joins us as a memoirist. Her 2020 memoir, Memorial Drive, was an Instant New York Times Bestseller and one of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2020. It was named one of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post, NPR, Esquire, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and InStyle. Of her 2012 nonfiction book, Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Publishers Weekly writes, in a starred review, “By looking at the vast devastation with sober and poetic eyes, Trethewey has written a hauntingly beautiful book.” Free and open to the public. Thanks to the Harriot College Dean's Office, the Department of English, the Gender Studies Program, and especially the Office of the Provost for the funding of this unique event.