The College of Southern Maryland will host journalists dedicated to expressing the views of Baltimore’s working class poor and a soldier-poet who shares his views on the U.S. occupation of Iraq as part of this fall’s Connections Literary Series.

The first program will feature the journalists Marc Steiner, host of the Marc Steiner Show on WEAA 88.9FM, and Jessica Phillips, producer for the Center for Emerging Media, as they discuss their Peabody Award-winning series, “Just Words: The Stories of Working People in Our Community.”

In November, Iraq war veteran and poet Brian Turner will read from his first collection of poetry, “Here, Bullet.” He served in the U.S. Army for 10 years, and was an infantry team leader in Iraq. His reading will begin at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 14, at the La Plata Campus, Center for Business and Industry, Room BI-113.

Rounding out the fall 2008 series will be the Connections Fall 2008 Literary Magazine reading at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, at the La Plata Campus, Library Resources Building, Room LR-102. Writers and artists who contributed to the fall issue will read and discuss their works during this free event. Deadline to submit is Oct. 31.


Since 1990, the Connections Literary Series has held readings featuring nationally award-winning contemporary writers, poets and artists who share their work and time with residents of Southern Maryland.

All readings begin at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $2. For information, call (301) 934-7864 or (301) 870-2309, ext. 7864 for Charles County  (240) 725-5499, ext. 7864 for St. Mary’s County or (443) 550-6199, ext. 7864 for Calvert County or visit

http://www.csmd.edu/Connections/.