By Alex Burke

The School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures honored Former Associate Director Lauretta Clough last Thursday at an event hosted inside the newly dedicated Lauretta Clough Community Room in Jimenez Hall.

Clough earned her doctorate from the University of Maryland in French language and literature with a specialization in translation theory in 1998. She taught at UMD’s SLLC for 25 years until she retired in the spring of 2023. 

Clough died on Sept. 21, 2023.

In memory and celebration of her life and work for the SLLC, the inaugural event on Sept. 19, titled “Poetry in Conversation,” focused on highlighting Clough’s love of poetry. The event featured a roundtable discussion on the power of poetry and the role of artificial intelligence in poetry.

“[Poetry is] a way to transcend institutional frameworks such as family, school and political parties, which do not fully capture the essence of words and emotions,” said Juan Carlos-Herencia, a Latin American and Caribbean literature professor. 

Carlos-Herencia said the event was an opportunity to honor poetry and share what he and his colleagues had been creating. 

“[It was] an opportunity to listen and reflect on the ever-present possibilities of poetry, especially in my language, Spanish,” Carlos-Herencia said. “It was an honor to share the space with the poets and colleagues who were there.”

From the University of Michigan, Khaled Mattawa, a Libyan poet, reflected on his own journey in poetry. Mattawa explained the importance of translating languages and how it “is a way of better learning your own language,” referencing Clough, who speakers said had a deep passion for translation. 

The event concluded with Fatemeh Keshavarz, director of the Roshan Institute Center for Persian Studies, reading an original poem dedicated to Clough, honoring her life as a professor, administrator, wife and mother.

Featured Image: Mary Ellen Scullen, associate professor of French, introduces the next speaker at the “Poetry in Conversation” event hosted last Thursday by the University of Maryland’s School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Photo by Max Hardman.