Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., will present an evening of poetry readings from the works of Cole Swensen and Sarah Riggs today. The "Live from Prairie Lights" event will begin at 7 p.m.; admission is free. The Writing University will stream the reading on its website.

Swensen’s 12th book, Greensward, is her interpretation of the communication between humans and nature. Greensward also includes the graphic artwork of Shari DeGraw, who illustrates the interactions that Swensen’s words articulate.

The poet has received the Iowa Poetry Prize, the San Francisco State Poetry Center Book Award, and the National Poetry Series in addition to being a finalist for the National Book Award. She is also a permanent faculty member of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Joining her will be Sarah Riggs, her former co-editor of the bilingual poetry publication Read. Riggs is the author of Chain of Minuscule Decisions in the Form of a Feeling and Waterwork and is also a member of the Double Change bilingual poetry collective. Tonight, she will read from 60 Textos.

— by Eric Hawkinson