Words of Connection: Poetry Event Celebrates Shared Humanity and Women’s Voices
October 13, 2026
Multilingual readings celebrating women’s voices brought the community together in an afternoon of translation, memory, and heartfelt tribute to beloved former faculty member Lauretta Catherine Clough.
Students, faculty, and guests gathered for “Shared Humanity: Words of Connection,” the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures’ (SLLC) annual memorial poetry event dedicated to literature’s power to foster dialogue across languages, cultures, and shared human experiences.
Co-organized by Persian Studies, the Hebrew Program, the Arabic Program, and the Language House, the 2026 program featured the voices of women poets with ties to West Asia. Through multilingual readings and accompanying English translations, the event invited attendees to experience poetry as both a culturally rooted art form and a shared space for empathy, reflection, and community.
The afternoon opened with a welcome, remembrance, and poetry readings honoring the late Lauretta Catherine Clough (1959–2023), led by SLLC Director Mel Scullen. A cherished former faculty member in French and Italian, Dr. Clough was remembered for the enduring imprint she left on students, colleagues, and the intellectual fabric of the School.
As part of the tribute, Dr. Scullen unveiled a permanent memorial display in Dr. Clough’s honor. Featuring a portrait alongside a moving tribute poem composed by Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz-Karamustafa, the installation serves as a lasting testament to a beloved educator whose devotion to language, literature, and translation continues to resonate across the School.
Dr. Avital Karpman of the Hebrew Program then presented Rachel the Poetess’s poignant “Zemer Nogeh” (“Will You Hear My Voice?”) along with its translation, using video clips to show how the poem has resonated across Israeli culture over time. Dr. Marilyn Matar presented “Poetry from Lebanon & Translations,” guiding the audience through Nadia Tuéni’s “En montagne libanaise” (In the Lebanese Mountains) and “Sud” (South) as well as Nada El Hage’s lyrical Arabic poem “اِمسك يدي” (“Hold My Hand”). Spanning French and Arabic, Dr. Matar’s presentation illuminated how Lebanese women poets give voice to complex experiences of landscape, memory, belonging, and loss.
Closing the program, Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz-Karamustafa read her original poetry, including “Giggling in Fallujah,” anchoring the event’s overarching themes of memory and connection in a deeply personal contemporary voice.
By bringing together poetry from diverse linguistic and cultural traditions, “Shared Humanity: Words of Connection” reaffirmed SLLC’s commitment to global dialogue and multilingual expression. Ultimately, the gathering demonstrated poetry’s quiet ability to honor lasting legacies, connect cultures across borders, and build community through shared listening.
