At three o’clock in the afternoon on December 1, 2023, the Stephens College Alpha Epsilon Eta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta welcomed Kylan Rice, associate editor of the Missouri Review, to lecture on the poetry of Carl Phillips and his collection Then the War, the 2024 Common Reader. Rice is a well-published poet and recently interviewed Phillips for the Missouri Review’s spring issue.
Hosted in Louise Dudley Hall, twenty-one faculty members and students from the English and Creative Writing program gathered to learn more about Phillips’ poetry and then engage in a Q&A. This event was also included within the program’s bi-annual Writer’s Retreat. Copies of Phillips’ poetry collection were purchased by the chapter and provided to the attendees so that they could read his poems prior to the event.
Members of Sigma Tau Delta including Chapter Advisor Professor Somerville, President Zoe London, and Vice President Ruby Hewerdine prepared questions to ask Rice in relation to Phillips work as a writer and teacher. Rice provided quotes from his upcoming interview with Phillips, which illuminated key issues in the poet’s work.
All in all, it was a wonderful lecture and Q&A that prepared the members of the Alpha Epsilon Eta Chapter to meet Phillips in person at the 2024 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in St. Louis, MO, listen to him recite his poetry, and have their copies of Then The War signed by the author.
Kris Somerville
Alpha Epsilon Eta Chapter, Advisor
Stephens College, Columbia, MO
2025 Common Reader
When My Brother Was an Aztec, by Natalie Diaz
Sigma Tau Delta’s Convention Committee and 2025 Convention Co-Chairs are pleased to announce the Common Reader for 2025 is Natalie Diaz’s When My Brother Was an Aztec. This collection of heartbreaking, humorous, beautiful, and informed poetry often shines a light on difficult themes of addiction and cultural identity. But the author’s voice draws attention from the mere details of daily life. Instead, with her skillful crafting and classical references, Diaz makes us aware of the power of poetry to make us feel in awe of words and of their arrangement on the page.
From the romantic and sensual “Monday Aubade” to the painful beauty of “A Brother Named Gethsemane,” Diaz reminds us that every lived moment is both lovely and haunting. And in spite of the humor present in “Hand-Me-Down Halloween,” we are left dealing with the need for social justice and cultural equality. This collection of poetry is a gift to every person who loves literature. The powerful experience of reading Natalie Diaz’ work is the reason we have selected it for the Common Reader.
Since the Common Reader began as a way of tying service projects to literature and literary values, this book allows chapters to consider ways they might address particular needs and issues in their own communities. Perhaps the book will be a call to action, inspiring new service projects on your campus. The examination of cultural identity, family relationships, addiction, and love should inspire many opportunities for projects and discussion. The desire to examine particular issues or individual poems will provide endless discussions for community book clubs, campus book clubs, podcasts, or convention papers and panels. With the assistance of our Student Leadership’s Book Club and Book Club Kits, chapters now have excellent resources for addressing Diaz’s book in a variety of ways. (Don’t forget: keep our Student Leadership members and our Service Committee informed of any projects you are doing that are inspired by the Common Reader. We want to acknowledge and celebrate your good work!)
Hispanic Heritage Month Poetry Writing Challenge
Delve into 2025 Convention speaker Natalie Diaz’s powerful collection, When My Brother Was an Aztec. Create a compelling poem responding to one or more of Diaz’s themes, and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Sigma Tau Delta. This Creative Challenge is sponsored by LULAC.
Regents’ Common Reader Awards
Chapters can receive $100 for organizing and hosting a local event or activity around the 2025 Common Reader: When My Brother Was an Aztec. Chapter members do not need to attend the convention to apply for a Regents’ Common Reader Award. After the event, chapters simply apply for the award money, following the guidelines posted at english.org. Award applications should be emailed on or before February 15, 2025, to the appropriate Regent.
Common Reader Convention Awards
Awards of up to $600 will be given at the annual convention for critical essays or other genres of work that deal with the Common Reader. To be eligible, students select in the submission form that their work is on the Common Reader. Convention Submissions will be open September 30 – October 30.
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