The River Readings at Augustana

The 2026 River Readings will welcome Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte on Thursday, March 26.

The reading will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Watts-Midtown Branch of the Rock Island Public Library. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

The River Readings series at Augustana brings literary artists to campus each year from around the country. These writers of poetry, fiction and literary nonfiction meet with students in class or other venues to discuss their work and careers.

About Mark Turcotte

Mark Turcotte is the sixth Poet Laureate of Illinois. Turcotte is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe and is the Distinguished-Writer-In-Residence at DePaul University in Chicago.

The River Readings series is sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Institute for Leadership and Service, the Thomas Tredway Library and the English department.