Albany, N.Y. (January 31, 2012) – Excelsior College today announced that James Whitley, an award-winning poet based in Boston, Massachusetts, will conduct a poetry reading at 12:45 pm on March 9 for aspiring writers. Whitley will read from his most recent works, This Is The Red Door and The Goddess of Goodbye. The event is part of an Excelsior College open house dedicated to the launch of its new online writing lab, the Excelsior College OWL.

Whitley is the author of three poetry books and two poetry chapbooks (pocket-sized booklets). His poetry has been published in more than 100 print and online literary journals, including African American Review, First City Review, Barrelhouse, Mississippi Review, River City, Umbrella, Poetry Midwest, and The Houston Literary Review. In addition to being nominated for both the Pushcart Prize and The Best of the Net, Whitley is the recipient of the 2001 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, the Ironweed Press Poetry Prize, the Massachusetts Book Award, and the 42opus Editors' Select Prize.

The Excelsior College OWL is a free online service that provides learners with an in-depth guide to all aspects of undergraduate writing, from basic grammar to complex research projects. Excelsior will be offering morning and afternoon informational sessions on the OWL during the Open House.

The event is open to the media and the public and is sponsored by Excelsior College’s School of Liberal Arts, Office of Online Education and Leaning Services, and Office of Online Education and Leaning Services .

Please register for the poetry reading.