Department of Language and Literature
News: English professor Mardelle Fortier wins
awards in 2007 Poets and Patrons contest

11/5/07 | A professor’s love of figure skating has inspired award-winning poems.

Mardelle Fortier, an adjunct professor in the Department of Language and Literature, won first place in two categories and an honorable mention in a third category at the 2007 Poets and Patrons
contest. Her poems, “Cinderella Dances on Ice,” “Duet on Ice,” and “White Dancer” were all inspired by Fortier’s love for figure skating.

“I wrote a collection about skaters because they look beautiful on ice.” Fortier said. “You’re able to talk about the music and describe so many people in the competition.”

Fortier is a big fan of Michelle Kwan and once wrote a letter to Kwan.

“I couldn’t believe when Michelle wrote back thanking me for writing the letter, I think I may frame it,” Fortier said.

The awards ceremony was held at the Harold Washington Library on October 27.

Fortier was surrounded by literature as a child in Minnesota by her parents. Her mom was a teacher who enjoyed the writing process and would type crime novels. Since Minnesota did not offer too many visits
from guests, her mom would have her write poetry.

Fortier enjoyed listening to each of her family’s version of a poem about a rock or another intended object. Fortier also enjoyed listening to her dad read poems of legend and fantasy that were filled with rhythm and rhyme to her.

Still it would be years before Fortier would be published in a journal.

It was not until college in a Charles Dickens group that she thought it would be great to be published.

“I was just writing poetry for fun, I would go out alone and write but when I met with this group being published sounded exciting,” Fortier said.

Today she has about 70 poems in print and offers advice for poets who wish to see their poems in print.

“Poets who are hungry to have an audience should research the personality of the journal and submit poems based on what the journal is looking for to have a better chance to be printed,” Fortier said.

She also mentions that this gives poets experience and adds to a great portfolio.

“Never give up on any goal, it might seem hard, but you never want to think that anything is impossible,” she said.

adapted from an article by Cyntillia Eison
courtesy of The Candor (11/5/07 issue)