Gustavus Adolphus College will host a gathering at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7 to honor and remember 1965 alumnus Bill Holm. Holm, a renowned poet and essayist, passed away Feb. 25 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The event will be free and open to the public.
Friends, acquaintances, and fans of Holm’s work will gather at the College’s Alumni Hall for the tribute. Several individuals will share their thoughts about Holm, including Gustavus faculty members Phil Bryant, Joyce Sutphen, and Doug Huff as well as Professor Emeritus Larry Owen and 1982 alumna Athena Kildegaard. An open mic period will follow to allow anyone in attendance the opportunity to speak.
Professor Emeritus John Rezmerski will emcee the event. Music will be provided by pianists Paul and Helen Baumgartner. Copies of Holm’s books will be available for purchase. Donations to the Bill Holm Fund will be gratefully accepted. The fund is helping to develop a public library in Holm’s hometown of Minneota, Minn.
Holm was a longtime English professor at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. His works include Windows of Brimnes — An American in Iceland, Playing the Black Piano, The Heart Can Be Filled Anywhere on Earth, The Dead Get By with Anything, Coming Home Crazy: An Alphabet of China Essays, and Boxelder Bug Variations: A Meditation on an Idea in Language and Music.
In 1991, Gustavus awarded Holm a Distinguished Alumni Citation, which recognizes outstanding and exceptional professional achievement, such as to bring unusual honor to the individual in his or her field or endeavor. Holm had also served the College as an author for its annual Author Day events organized by the Gustavus Library Associates. While a student at Gustavus, Holm was active in choir and theatre and also wrote for the student newspaper, The Gustavian Weekly.
This event is being co-sponsored by the English department and the Book Mark. For more information, contact Rezmerski via email at rez@gustavus.edu.
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