Komunyakaa will read from his most recent books, Pleasure Dome: New and Collected Poems, Talking Dirty to the Gods and Thieves of Paradise, at 4 p.m. in the Presentation Room of the Oviatt Library in the center of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

Komunyakaa is author of 12 books of poetry and has been hailed as one of America's greatest poets. His work has garnered dozens of awards. Talking Dirty to the Gods and Thieves of Paradise were both finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Neon Vernacular.

Komunyakaa's poetry is celebrated for its short lines, simple vernacular, jazzy feel and its roots in his experience as a black child in the American south and as a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War.

He currently teaches at Princeton University, where he is a professor in the Council of Humanities and Creative Writing Program.

Komunyakaa was born in Bogalusa, La., in 1947. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, a master's degree from Colorado State University and a master's in fine arts from the University of California, Irvine. He earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, where he served as a correspondent and editor for The Southern Cross, a military newspaper.

For more information about his CSUN visit, contact Sucari Epps in Associated Students, Inc., at (818) 677-2477.