Friday, October 2
Last updated Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Bucks County Community College, which has a long history of bringing world-renowned writers to Newtown, invites the public to hear three award-winning poets on Friday, October 2, as the popular Wordsmiths Reading Series resumes this fall.
Jeanne Marie Beaumont, Julie Standig, and Tom Mallouk will read from their works at 7:30 p.m. in the Orangery building on the Newtown Campus, followed by book signings and a reception.
Beaumont is author of five books of poetry, including the National Poetry Series winner “Placebo Effects” and most recently “Lessons with Scissors.” She is also coeditor of “The Poets’ Grimm” anthology and author of the verse play “Asylum Song,” which had its premiere at HERE Arts in New York. She is the former director of the Frost Place Seminar and has taught at Rutgers University, the Stonecoast MFA Program, and the 92nd St. Y.
Beaumont is serving as the final judge in the College’s search for the 50th Bucks County Poet Laureate. Born and raised in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Beaumont has lived in New York City for over forty years.
Standig is the author of two poetry books, including “The Forsaken Little Black Book,” which was a finalist for an Eric Hoffer Award. Her poems have appeared in numerous publications, including the Schuylkill Valley Journal, Gyroscope Review, One Art, and elsewhere. Standig retired to Bucks County after a lifetime in New York and immediately found the River Heron Review, which led to the late Professor Chris Bursk’s spring poetry workshops at the College.
Mallouk – a practicing psychotherapist – has transformed his interest in the healing possibilities of conversation into poetry. The 2022 Bucks County Poet Laureate leveraged his status to create and curate Poet’s Corner, a weekly feature in the Bucks County Herald. His poetry and creative nonfiction have been widely published, including two chapbooks. A third chapbook “To Love You More,” which includes poems by his wife Dr. Eileen Engle, and a full-length book are both coming soon.
The Wordsmiths Reading Series is another way that Bucks County Community College connects the community with the region’s vibrant literary heritage. The College – founded in 1964 – has a long history of hosting literary greats, including poet Allen Ginsberg and many award-winning authors.
The Wordsmiths Reading Series, which is free and open to the public, is funded by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee. Upcoming events include poet Grant Clauser at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, October 22, and poet Michelle Messina Reale reading with the soon-to-be-named 50th Bucks County Poet Laureate at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 14. To learn more, visit the Wordsmiths Reading Series web page or contact the School of Language & Literature at langandlit@bucks.edu or 215-968-8150.
Bucks County Community College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking.