One of the most influential literary voices of the past quarter century is coming to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga not simply to read her work, but to address why the humanities continue to matter in American public life.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and two-term U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey will deliver a free, public lecture titled “The Role of the Humanities in Our Personal and Civic Lives” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5, in the University Center Tennessee Room. The event is presented as part of the O’Dea Lecture in the Humanities series.

The University Center is located at 710 Mocs Alumni Dr. (710 E. 5th St. in some GPS systems). Parking is available in the adjacent Lupton Hall Parking Garage (700 Vine St.) and is free beginning at 5 p.m. Other nearby parking garages will be reserved that evening for a basketball game at McKenzie Arena.

The event will include a lecture by Trethewey, readings from her work, a question-and-answer session and a book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the lecture through Barnes & Noble.

The lecture is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Foundation, the UTC Honors College O’Dea Lecture Series, the UTC Division of Access and Engagement, The Keese Lecture Series and the UTC Department of English.