High Point University con- tinued its Spring Semester Phoenix Reading Series on Feb. 12. Coming from the University of Utah, Dr. Jacqueline Osherow visited High Point University to read poems from her book “Ultimatum from Paradise: Poems.”

Osherow was just the latest of readers coming for the Phoenix Reading Series. Lee Zacharias, an essayist, and Michael Gaspeny, a poet, previously came Thursday, Jan. 29.

The Phoenix Reading Series is hosted by Dr. Jacob Paul, assistant professor of English at HPU. According to Paul, the Phoenix Reading Series allows our students to interact with the author, create a culture of reading and writing as an art form, and give students direct contact with the work’s creator.

His goals for the Phoenix Reading Series are eight events, including a literary festival and inviting a scholar and different writers.

Paul also says there are three factors when it comes to choosing writers for the Phoenix Reading Series. He says the writer has to be available, the writer has to offer something to the university that we haven’t seen before and HPU needs a personal relationship with the writer.

Osherow grew up in Philadelphia. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Rad- cliffe College, Harvard University and her Ph.D. at Princeton University. Along with “Ultimatum from Paradise: Poems,” she has published several other poetry books, such as “Hoopoe’s Crown.” Her debut po- etry book is “Looking for Angels in New York.”

She has won different awards for her poetry, including the Witter Bynner Prize by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, several prizes from the Poetry Society of America and three fellowships, including the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment of the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Founda- tion.

Osherow first began writing at seven years old. Her inspiration to write poetry comes from King David of Psalms and Emily Dickinson. Not only does she have her poetry books published, but she also had a story published in a  magazine in high school. She also teaches Hebrew as a part of her Jewish faith.