Award-winning Teacher, Lax Biographer to Talk About Iconic Olean Poet

Michael McGregor, professor of English and Creative Writing at Portland State University in Oregon, will visit St. Bonaventure University from March 18 to April 3 as the Spring 2017 Lenna Endowed Visiting Professor.

McGregor is the author of “Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax” (Fordham University Press, 2015), which has been shortlisted for numerous awards in biography, American studies, and Catholic publishing and is now being called the definitive Lax biography.

Lax, whom McGregor befriended in Lax’s later years in Greece, was an Olean native and a citizen of the world; a poet, mystic, and visionary; an intimate friend of Thomas Merton; a benefactor of St. Bonaventure University; and the recipient of the first Reginald A. Lenna Visiting Professorship in 1990-1991. Lax died in 2000 at the age of 85.

At the Robert Lax website he manages, McGregor defines the biography’s title:

“Lax pursued an approach to life he called pure act — a way of living in the moment that was both spontaneous and practiced, God-inspired and self-chosen. By devoting himself to simplicity, poverty and prayer, he expanded his capacity for peace, joy and love while producing distinctive poetry of such stark beauty critics called him ‘one of America’s greatest experimental poets’ and ‘one of the new “saints” of the avant-garde.’”

Free and open to the public, McGregor’s public lecture about the life and work of Lax and the writing of “Pure Act” is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, in the amphitheater of the William F. Walsh Science Center. The title for that lecture is “The Island of Uncommon Life: Robert Lax and the Joy of Uncertainty.”

During his two-week stay, McGregor will mentor student writers and visit classes in creative and professional writing. He is scheduled to converse with faculty and staff about Lax’s life and poetry at a Souper Monday luncheon on March 27.

He will deliver introductory remarks about Lax’s poetry at St. Bonaventure University’s conference on concrete and visual poetry, Never Abolish Chance, to be held March 31 and April 1 in honor of Lax and his contributions to modern poetry. For more information about the two-day conference, contact the conference organizers at concrete@sbu.edu.

McGregor will also meet with the campus slam poetry society Chattertons and with the staff of The Laurel, St. Bonaventure University’s campus literary magazine and the oldest continuously published college literary magazine in the United States.

The Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship, established in 1990, is funded through gifts from the late Betty S. Lenna Fairbank and Reginald A. Lenna of Jamestown. It is designed to bring scholars of stature in their field to St. Bonaventure University and Jamestown Community College for public lectures.

Seneca Building Renamed Marilyn Horne Hall

As a tribute to the renowned opera star and Bradford native, Marilyn Horne, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford changed the name of its six-story downtown property from the Seneca Building to Marilyn Horne Hall.

The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved the name change Friday in Pittsburgh.

In May Pitt-Bradford will open a 3,400 square-foot museum in the hall dedicated to Horne, who donated her archives to the University of Pittsburgh.

“Ms. Horne is beside herself with joy and excitement that a building in the place of her birth is being named in her honor,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford.

“She is truly humbled by the honor and looks forward to joining us on May 6 for the dedication and opening of the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center in Marilyn Horne Hall.”

Horne, who is Bradford’s most famous native daughter, was born in 1934. Her father, Bentz Horne, encouraged her to pursue her musical dreams. She moved with her family to Long Beach, California, when she was 11 and made her debut when she was 20 at the Los Angeles Opera Guild. Following her father’s death in 1956 in Bradford, she traveled Europe, performing in many productions and receiving rave reviews.

Horne was considered one of the world’s premiere mezzo sopranos for more than 40 years, becoming not only a star of the opera world, but also an ambassador to pop culture through appearances on “The Odd Couple,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “Carol Burnett and Friends” and “Sesame Street.”

The ground-floor Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center will feature replica costumes, displays that capture the highlights of Horne’s life and career, and interactive features that teach visitors about music and opera.

Marilyn Horne Hall is located on Marilyn Horne Way, which borders Veterans Square on the west end of Main Street in Bradford.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows built the building as its meeting hall in 1932. In 1985, Dr. Paul Keverline, co-owner of Seneca Eye Surgeons, purchased the building. After Keverline died in a plane crash in 2002, his business partner, Dr. Robert Weiss of Warren, and his wife, Mary, donated the building to Pitt-Bradford.

In addition to the new museum, the ground floor will house a gift shop, café, meeting space and new offices for the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center. Upper floors are occupied by the Division of Continuing Education and Regional Development, the Center for Rural Health, and private tenants.