Caxton Club

A literary organization on campus, Caxton Club brings a number of high-profile poets, novelists, and essayists to campus every term to read their works in a setting open to all members of the community. The club is named after the first English printer, William Caxton.

Working closely with the English Department, Caxton Club is student-run and, with Q & A sessions after most readings, encourages literary discourse on the Knox campus.

Recent readers

• Kwame Dawes, author of 15 volumes of poetry, two novels, a memoir, and the book, Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius. Dawes is also an Emmy Award Winner
• Keith Ratzlaff, author of Then, A Thousand Crows, and several books of poetry
• Paul Dawson, author of Creative Writing and the New Humanities, and Imagining Winter
• Silas House, author of novels including The Coal Tattoo, Eli the Good, and the nonfiction book Something's Rising about mountaintop removal in Appalachia
• Marianne Boruch, author of several books of poetry, including Grace, Fallen from, Ghost and Oar, and A Stick that Breaks and Breaks
• Alan Michael Parker, author of several books of poetry, including Elephants and Butterflies, Love Song with Motor Vehicles, and The Vandals
• Ray Gonzalez, author of several books of poetry, including Consideration of the Guitar: New and Selected Poems and The Hawk Temple at Tierra Grande

Caxton Club also sponsors readings by visiting and current professors, providing an opportunity for them to share their work. Members of Caxton Club hold frequent reading groups to discuss the work of visiting authors. Many student members also spend time with authors that visit by going out to dinner with them after readings or showing them around campus.

Caxton Club readings are among the most popular literary events hosted regularly on campus, and all are welcome and encouraged to attend.