ECU’s Dr. Steven Pedersen to debut first book, “Dog Days,” at Linscheid Library Book Talk

ADA, Okla. - East Central University's Dr. Steven Pedersen announces the launch of his first book, titled "Dog Days," at an upcoming Linscheid Library Book Talk, Thursday Nov. 21 at 3 p.m.

Paul Austin, author of "Notes on Hard Times," calls Dog Days "a unique look under the hood of conventional American upbringing and how a young man struggles to find a meaningful adult self in a world besotted with greed and cynicism."

Dog Days is a Fine Dog Press publication, and a collection of poetry written as an exploration of youth.

"There are no flattering poems in this book," said Pedersen. "Dog Days is an attempt to reclaim and celebrate the awkwardness that comes with growing up, and provide space for accepting the memories we might otherwise choose to forget, ignore, or repress."

Pedersen's career began at the drive-thru window of Jack-in-Box in high school. He would later work in the entertainment department for SeaWorld, then later as a sales representative for MillerCoors, then a door-to-door solar salesman in Denver, before becoming a broker for a third-party logistics company managing freight across the United States. Between jobs, Pedersen completed his MA degree at San Diego State University (2009) and his PhD at Oklahoma State University (2015).

He currently serves as Chair for the Department of English and Languages, as well as Assistant Dean to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at ECU. Pedersen teaches Composition, Rhetoric and Professional Writing.

In his review of Dog Days, fellow ECU professor and poet, Dr. Ken Hada, observed, "Dog Days takes us back to awkward days of adolescence - managing our bodies, loving strangers and estranged parents, worshipping fallen heroes. Pedersen invokes the power of poetry, with expert line control and vivid memories, to understand what it all meant, and means, to be authentically human - to be as good as a dog."

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information on Dog Days and where to find it, contact Pedersen at [email protected].

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