This week, on Thursday. March 13, Villanova’s English Department continued its annual Villanova Literary Festival in partnership with the Center for Irish Studies. Villanova hosted Northern Irish poet Dr. Stephen Sexton for a reading from his most recent poetry collection, Cheryl’s Destinies.
Sexton graduated with his masters and Ph.D. in creative writing from the Seamus Heaney Center at Queen’s University Belfast, where he now teaches courses in poetry. Queen’s University Belfast and the Seamus Heaney Center work closely with Villanova University, as each year each school sends a creative writing class abroad to the opposite university. This year, Villanova students from the “Writing Through Conflict” class traveled with Sexton to and from Northern Ireland before he came to speak at Villanova.
Sexton’s reading was hosted in the President’s Lounge of the Connelly Center. A pre-reading reception was held at 6:30 p.m., where students and faculty were given the opportunity to talk with Sexton and enjoy food and drinks. Students and faculty were also able to buy copies of both of his books, all of which were signed.
While this reception was going on, a band played traditional Irish music for the crowd. But at 7 p.m., Dr. Joseph Lennon, head of the Irish Studies Department, stepped up to the mic to give a small introduction on why Sexton was visiting. Sexton is the current Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Chair, a position established in 2000 at Villanova University and inaugurated by Seamus Heaney, after whom the center Sexton graduated from, is named.
Lennon described Sexton’s poetry, saying “…his poetry makes me laugh…it makes me reflect, and it makes me feel commonality.”
After giving some more announcements, Lennon introduced two creative writing students, Mary-Kate Farrell and Zach Rendall, who spoke about their experiences when reading Sexton’s poetry.
Farrell detailed a number of awards Sexton’s first book received, and Rendall detailed parts of the collection that were inspired heavily by Super Mario Brothers. But the main focus of the night was his newest collection published in 2021, Cheryl’s Destinies. Farrell noted that Sexton “beautifully blends personal history, nostalgia and pop culture into a narrative.”
Before Sexton began reading, he first began with thanks. He thanked both Farrell and Rendall for their introduction, and noted the hospitality Villanova and its community had shown him.
“[I am] utterly thrilled to receive this invitation, and it has meant a lot [me],” Sexton said.
He also thanked Villanova and the Center for Irish Studies for their investment into him as a creative and as a poet.
Sexton then read a select amount of poems from Cheryl’s Destinies but also read a few newer poems. He noted how some of his most powerful poems were entirely made up, like one about a grandfather, who is nothing like his own grandfather. In a silent room, Sexton’s voice carried emotion and impact, but also a passion and love that one can feel through his writing. It is clear that Sexton loves what he does, and he is incredibly open about sharing his talents and expertise with all students.
Once he finished his reading to a standing ovation, Sexton then took a few questions. Some questions asked about his writing process, while others tackled what it was like to be an Irish author in a post-Troubles Ireland. In each response Sexton was thoughtful and kind, and took the time to unpack each one no matter the subject. Afterward, students and faculty lined up to get their books signed by Sexton, who took time to talk to each student and ask some of the students he had seen in Belfast just a week prior how they were doing.
It is once in a lifetime that a creative such as Sexton shares so much of himself with a community, and Villanova will continue to work with him, the Seamus Heaney Center and Queen’s University Belfast.
