“Do you know what you have here? You have one of the best reading series in the country,” said world-renowned Irish poet Seamus Heaney before he stepped on stage at the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series back in 2006.
He was speaking to CWS cofounder Linda Nemec Foster. He had made Grand Rapids part of his seven-city tour that included Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta at the recommendation of former CWS guest, novelist Michael Ondaatje. Foster remembers that exchange as if it were yesterday, a testament to the CWS, her dreams, and the city’s love of the arts.
“When I was a student at Aquinas, I heard about events happening at other institutions and thought it would be great if Aquinas could do that,” she said. “Not just for students but for the West Michigan community, and not just local talent but people we wouldn’t normally see.”
Foster and her husband, Dr. Tony Foster, were returning from the funeral of poet Larry Pike in 1995 when her dream of a writer series revived. Pike had started a series at Macomb County Community College and the Fosters saw the possibilities for Aquinas. Linda Foster approached faculty members and administration, including then-president Paul Nelson, and all thought it was a grand idea.
That dream came to fruition in 1997-98 with the first season of the CWS, which featured writers Marilyn Nelson, Stephen Dunn, Li-Young Lee, and Naomi Shihab Nye. Three of the four have returned for another visit to the CWS in the ensuing years.
The Fosters helped fund the operating budget through the years, and as of March 2012 the CWS is funded through an endowment in perpetuity thanks to the Fosters.
“We wanted not just poets, but all genres,” said Linda Foster, herself an award-winning poet and the first Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids. “We’ve had playwrights, novelists, creative nonfiction writers, memoirists, and spoken word poets.”
Amy Dunham Strand is chair of the English department at Aquinas and former director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s and Gender Studies Center, which has co-sponsored CWS writers over the years including Sarah Kay, Deborah Blum, Amanda Stern, Kyd Kane, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil.
“The CWS has put Grand Rapids and Aquinas on the map for these writers as a series they want to be part of,” said Strand. “It’s a real gem for the community and students, who get to have craft talks and activities with these writers. And for the community, it’s open to the public and free.”
The new CWS director as of this year is Christina Radisauskas, also director of the Grace Hauenstein Library on the Aquinas campus.
For Linda Nemec Foster and Tony Foster, it’s about love for writing and the arts. “I’d like the series to not only continue in perpetuity, but to share the wealth of great writing by acclaimed poets and writers,” said Linda Foster.
“To listen to a superb poet, to hear an extraordinary novelist or short story writer, to see a fine memoirist or essayist share their work—all of these experiences are amazing. I’d like the CWS to continue to share these experiences, expanding the community’s love and appreciation for the literary arts,” she said.
The Aquinas Contemporary Writers Series 2026-2027 Season at a glance:
September 16
Sarah Kay
Spoken word poet and TED speaker
6 p.m., Wege Ballroom, Wege Student Center
November 12
Joy Harjo
23rd U.S. Poet Laureate
6 p.m., Wege Ballroom, Wege Student Center
February 18, 2027
Celebration of Student Poetry
Students from Calvin University, GVSU, GRCC, and Aquinas College read their poems
6-7 p.m., Kretschmer Recital Hall, Art & Music Center
March 18, 2027
Luis Alberto Urrea
Pulitzer Prize finalist, poet, novelist, essayist
6 p.m., Wege Ballroom, Wege Student Center
