Oklahoma City University will host award-winning poet and scholar Ken Hada as part of the fall Thatcher Hoffman Smith Poetry Series. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Nov. 3 in the Meinders School of Business auditorium, located at NW 27th Street and McKinley Avenue.
The morning program features a poetry reading followed by a book signing with the author. The event is free to the public.
Hada, a professor at East Central University, lives in the Crosstimbers section of rural Oklahoma. Drawing inspiration from the natural world both at home and throughout his travels, his writing investigates questions of spirituality and the human experience within nature. Hada is the author of 14 poetry collections, including his newest publication, “Nexus” (2026).
Hada’s contributions to literature have earned numerous accolades, including the Wrangler Award from the National Western Heritage Museum, recognition from the Western Writers of America, the Poetry Prize from the South Central Modern Language Association, and the Oklahoma Book Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book. His work has been broadcast across public radio programs and media outlets, including four poems featured on NPR’s “The Writer's Almanac.”
Beyond creative writing, Hada publishes scholarly work focusing on regional writing, literary ecology and multicultural literature. He also directs the annual Scissortail Creative Writing Festival, which is currently celebrating its 22nd year.
For more information about the poetry series, visit okcu.edu/film-lit.
Event summary:
- Event: Thatcher Hoffman Smith Poetry Series featuring Ken Hada
- Date & Time: Nov. 3 at 10 a.m.
- Location: Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business (NW 27th St. & McKinley Ave.)
- Admission: Free and open to the public
