Renowned poet, Edwin Thumboo, of Singapore, will visit EMCC next week for a reading of his work and to discuss his life-long love for poetry. In addition, Thumboo will discuss multiculturalism, business and terrorism in Southeast Asia. When: Thursday, April 28 Noon - 2 p.m.Where: Estrella Mountain Community College Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) 3000 N. Dysart Road, AvondaleThumboo has published several volumes of poetry and received a number of awards and accolades throughout his career, including the Singapore Cultural Medallion Award, the Southeast Asia Write Award and, most recently, the Raja Rao Award from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2002. Critics have credited his work as significant milestones in the literary history of Singapore. His journey with writing poetry began as an undergraduate student in the 1950s, a time when the writing of free verse was considered modern. His study of modernist poets largely influenced his writing with a focus on exploring and expressing his experiences through metaphor. Love is a central theme in most of Thumboo's poetry. His poems continue to fascinate critics, as well as influence a new generation of poets from Southeast Asia. Currently, he is the Director of The Centre for the Arts at the National University in Singapore, where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and was made Emeritus Professor in 1997. Thumboo holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Malaysia and a Ph.D. from the University of Singapore.A Catechism by Edwin Thumboo Who can I blameIf my days are but thoughts of you?It is as if an earlier selfOne my memory hardly knew,With resurrection and surpriseStrides in to maim my old barbarian ways.For I hear myself againBy enchantment of a fire-bird:Your image in vermilionKindles the embers of my words,Which gathering, break the sides of thought, Calling the blood to put out flowers,To put out flowers Put out flowers.Estrella Mountain Community College is a Maricopa Community College. Located on Thomas and Dysart Roads in Avondale, EMCC offers transfer-ready academic courses and job-specific occupational training to residents in the West Valley. Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation serving more than a quarter million students annually. For more information visit www.estrellamountain.edu or www.maricopa.edu # # #
