Keynote Speaker
Berwyn Moore
Berwyn Moore is the author of three books of poetry, Sweet Herbaceous Miracle, winner of the prestigious 2017 John Ciardi Prize from BkMk Press, O Body Swayed, and Dissolution of Ghosts, both from Cherry Grove Collections.
Her poetry has earned numerous awards, including the 2015 James Dickey Prize for Poetry from Five Points Journal and the 2007 Magliocco Prize for Poetry from Bellevue Literary Review as well as awards from The Pinch Journal, Margie: An American Journal of Poetry, Nimrod: International Journal of Poetry and Prose, Sow's Ear Poetry Review, New Millennium, Ruminate, Briar Cliff Review, and Negative Capability Press.
Her poems have been published widely in national journals, including Measure: A Review of Formal Poetry, Five Points Journal, Nimrod International Journal of Poetry and Prose, The Southern Review, Shenandoah, Poetry Northwest, Journal of the American Medical Association, Cimarron Review and others. Her work has been featured on web venues such as The American Scholar's "Next Line, Please" weekly poetry forum, Verse Daily, Best American Poetry, and An American Life in Poetry.
In 2010, Moore served as the first Poet Laureate of Erie County, Pennsylvania. Her primary community-outreach project as laureate was compiling and editing the book, Dwelling in Possibility: Voices of Erie County, an anthology of poetry and art.
She taught full-time at Gannon University for 33 years, earning both full professorship and the Distinguished Faculty award in 2012. She continues to teach creative writing courses.