Beck Series

The Beck Series provides students the opportunity to hear, study with, and engage some of this country’s finest writers.

Beck Series Coordinator:
Margot Singer

Follow Beck Series:

About the Beck Series

For over fifty years the Beck Series, funded by the Harriet Ewens Beck Endowment for English, has been a mainstay of creative writing studies at Denison University. The series provides students the opportunity to hear, study with, and engage some this country’s finest writers in the close quarters and pastoral setting of our hilltop campus in Granville, Ohio.

Here are just a few notable speakers from past years:

  • Eudora Welty — Pulitzer Prize winner for “The Optimist’s Daughter”
  • Alice Walker — Pulitzer Prize & National Book Award winner; author of “The Color Purple ”
  • Tom Stoppard — Playwright & Oscar-winning screenwriter for “Shakespeare in Love”
  • W.S. Merwin — Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner & United States Poet Laureate

Beck Series
Archives

2025 - 2026

The Beck Series welcomes graphic memoirist and novelist Mira Jacob.

The Beck Series welcomes author, poet, and wildlife biologist Drew Lanham.

The Beck Series welcomes poet Jehanne Dubrow.

The Beck Series welcomes poets and authors David Baker and Peter Grandbois

The Beck Series welcomes author Jessamine Chan for an interdisciplinary talk.

The Beck Series welcomes author Jessamine Chan for a reading and book signing.

2024 - 2025

The Beck Series welcomes poet Tiana Clark.

The Beck Series welcomes writer and scholar Sophie Lewis.

The Beck Series presents Words in the Mix: A Conversation with Denison Authors.

The Beck Series welcomes GLCA Prize winners for poetry, Jesse Nathan, and for fiction DK Nnuro.

The Beck Series welcomes author Amy Butcher.

The Beck Series welcomes essayists Melissa Febos and Melissa Faliveno.

The Beck Series welcomes poets Ilya Kaminsky and Katie Farris.

2023 - 2024

The Beck Series welcomes poet Erika Meitner.

The Beck Series welcomes poet Roger Robinson.

The Beck Series welcomes poet Brenda Hillman.

The Beck Series welcomes poet sam sax.

The Beck Series welcomes GLCA Prize winners for for nonfiction, Lars Horn and for fiction, Tsering Yangzom Lama.

The Beck Series welcomes novelist M.E. O’Brien.

The Beck Series welcomes poet Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach.

The Beck Series welcomes Ukrainian poet, translator, and journalist Iya Kiva.

The Beck Series welcomes story scientist Angus Fletcher.

2022 - 2023

The Beck Series welcomes novelist Jordy Rosenberg.

The Beck Series welcomes GLCA Prize winners for nonfiction, Melissa Valentine, and for fiction, Michael X. Wang.

The Beck Series welcomes poet Tomás Q. Morín.

Denison University’s Laura C. Harris Series and Beck Series welcome Joy Harjo.

The Beck Series presents essayist Melissa Faliveno.

The Beck Series welcomes poets Erin Belieu and Cate Marvin.

The Beck Series presents a poetry reading by Malika Booker.

2021 - 2022

The Beck Series presents author Torrey Peters.

The Beck Series presents Connie Schultz in conversation with Wesley J. Lowery and Jamil Smith.

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Ada Limón.

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Connie Schultz.

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Maria Dahvana Headley.

2020 - 2021

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Kim Blaeser.

The Beck series and Journalism welcome David Aldridge and Dave Zirin.

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Alison Stine ’00.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Journalism at Denison presents a panel discussion on careers for English/CW/NJ students.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

The Vail Series welcomes Aoife O’Donovan presenting a virtual concert.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

Denison University presents "Welcome Beck" Thursdays, a virtual reading series.

2019 - 2020

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Jos Charles.

Denison University's Beck Series welcomes Lesley Nneka Arimah.

Back to top
Back to top