Poetry and Conflict

Poetry is an art that has always concerned itself with the questions of life: what’s growing, what’s not, what’s thriving, what’s not, what’s being stifled, what’s being fed. The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics is delighted to host Pádraig Ó Tuama as he explores dynamics of conflict, language, rhyme, description, and resolution for this engaging evening at Washington University in St. Louis.

Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, conflict resolution mediator, and the author of Poetry Unbound: 44 Poems On Being Together (2025), Kitchen Hymns (2025), Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love (2024), Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World (2022), Feed the Beast (2022), Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community (2017), In the Shelter (2015), Sorry for your Troubles (2013), and Readings from the Books of Exile (2012), which was longlisted for the 2013 Polari First Book Prize.

A freelance artist, one of Ó Tuama’s projects is poet in residence with the Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Center at Columbia University. 

Pádraig Ó Tuama holds a BA Div validated by the Pontifical College of Maynooth, an MTh from Queen’s University Belfast and recently received a PhD in Theology through Creative Practice at the University of Glasgow exploring poetry, Irishness, and religion.

Please register at rap@wustl.edu or 314-935-9345 so we can appropriately plan for your visit and send you parking and event information. Your registration does not guarantee a seat.

Emerson Auditorium offers open seating and doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for this event. Tickets are not required and seating will be “first come, first served.” All attendees are welcome to join us for a reception with the speaker immediately following his talk.

Visitor parking is available on the fourth level of Millbrook Garage or in the Danforth University Center (DUC) underground garage. Pull a ticket at the gate when you enter. Parking is free in yellow spaces (you will be ticketed if in a red space) weekdays between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. and on weekends. For more information on parking, visit parking.wustl.edu/parking/visitor.

Please call us at (314) 935-9345 or email us at rap@wustl.edu with any questions or accommodation requests.