Silver Jews Singer/Songwriter David Berman to Debut His First Book of Poetry at Pitt Feb. 8

PITTSBURGH-David Berman, an up-and-coming American poet and established singer/songwriter of the rock band Silver Jews, will give an evening reading at the University of Pittsburgh campus as part of the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 8 in Room 125, Frick Fine Arts Building Auditorium, Schenley Drive, Oakland. This event is free and open to the public.

Berman will read from his debut collection of poetry, Actual Air (Open City Books, 1999). The Silver Jews have released several albums, including The Natural Bridge (1996), American Water (1994), and Bright Flight (2001).

A Williamsburg, Va., native, Berman graduated from the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, and the Universities of Virginia and Massachusetts. According to www.opencity.com, as Berman "charts a course through his own highly original American dreamscape in language that is fresh, accessible, and remarkably precise," he artfully depicts everyday events, appealing to both readers of poetry and rock-and-roll fans. He currently resides in Nashville, Tenn.

The 2005-06 Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, which runs through April 5, is cosponsored by the Wyndham Garden Hotel-University Place, the Pitt Department of Classics, University of Pittsburgh Book Center, and University of Pittsburgh Press.

For more information, call 412-624-6506 or visit www.english.pitt.edu.

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