English professor Dale Rigby doesn’t think the Creative Writing Committee at Western deserves special attention.

“Every department has scadzillions of committees peopled by hard-working faculty members,” said Rigby, chairman of the committee. “Ours ain’t anything special.”

But it is noteworthy.

The committee is comprised of English department faculty members Tom Hunley, David Lenoir, Mary Ellen Miller, Nancy Roberts, Pat Taylor and Rigby.

The committee focuses on addressing the needs of creative writing majors and minors. It develops and monitors a core creative writing curriculum. It also organizes activities that are open to all students.

For example, Lenoir heads Western’s literary magazine, “Zephyrus,” which accepts submissions from any student.

The Creative Writing Committee may be best known for the unique guests it brings to campus to workshop, speak and read.

The committee’s activities begin Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in Cherry Hall, Room 125.

Jim Carr, a former English professor at Western, will give a public reading. Before the reading he will workshop with English students.

On Sept. 25, Michael Steinberg, editor of “Fourth Genre,” the leading journal of creative nonfiction, will workshop with English students and give a reading at 5:30 p.m. in Cherry Hall, Room 125.

The Jim Wayne Miller Celebration of Writing, held annually during Homecoming weekend, is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. in Garrett Center, Room 103.

The featured guests will be poets Frank and Peggy Steele, who will read their work.

Committee member Mary Ellen Miller said this celebration is the event that she is looking forward to most.

“The Creative Writing Committee lets me choose the speaker because the event is in honor of my late husband,” she said. “This year’s readers were favorite poets of Jim’s as well as two of his favorite people.”

All events are free and open to the public. More events will be announced as they are scheduled.

Reach Jennifer Raggard at [email protected].