Contact: Public Relations
(863) 680-4118

Poet/Publisher to speak
at Florida Southern

LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2002) - Florida Southern College presents a reading and conversation featuring poet and publisher Antonio Vallone of MAMMOTH books Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Melvin Art Gallery on campus. Vallone will speak about his career in publishing and provide advice concerning publishing opportunities. He will also read from his own poetry. FSC's humanities division sponsors his appearance.

Vallone is the author of three books of poetry, with a fourth due out in 2002. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Indiana University and has studied with a number of writers and editors, including William Heyen, Anthony Piccione, A. Poulin, Jr., Stan Sanvel Rubin, Mary Oliver, Jared Carter, Maura Stanton, Roger Mitchell, Tony Ardizonne, David Wojahn, and Yusef Komunyakaa.

While still in graduate school, Vallone established MAMMOTH press, now known as MAMMOTH books. MAMMOTH has ten titles in print, among them poetry collections by Liz Rosenberg and PhilipTerman and a novel, "Counting Zero," by Dave Kress. Additionally, Vallone is the editor of Pennsylvania English, published by the Pennsylvania College English Association.

Vallone is associate professor of English at Pennsylvania State University's Dubois campus, and a member of the Pennsylvania State University honors faculty. He is a recipient of the Purdue University English Department's Award for Excellence in Teaching. At Penn State DuBois, he has won Delta Mu Sigma's Professor of the Year. In 1999, he won the Pennsylvania State University's George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2000, he was a finalist for the Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching and Mentoring. He was awarded the Adviser of the Year Award by Penn State DuBois in 2001.

The event is open to the public. Admission is free.

For further information, please contact Dr. Bernard Quetchenbach at (863) 680-4221 or bquetchenbach@flsouthern.edu.

About Florida Southern College
Florida Southern is a four-year, private, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and a master of business administration degree accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Located in Lakeland, Fla., the college is home to the largest, single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.

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