Penn State Altoona professor honored in Liberia for poetry

ALTOONA, Pa. — Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, professor of English at Penn State Altoona, was recently honored in her homeland of Liberia for using poetry to preserve the country’s history, culture and identity while bringing stories of the Liberian people to the global stage.

The recognition came during the official launch of her new book, “Patricia Jabbeh Wesley: Collected Poems, 1998-2020,” a compilation of more than two decades of her work that explores themes of war, displacement, motherhood, loss, identity, survival and hope.

The event brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic community, literary figures, academics, cultural advocates and other prominent Liberians.

During the ceremony, Wesley was awarded the Judge Emma Shannon Walser Medal for Rule of Law, Good Governance and Patriotism.

The event was organized by the Liberian Institute for “Growing” Patriotism in collaboration with the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security and the Voices of the Elders.

“Patricia Jabbeh Wesley: Collected Poems, 1998-2020” features work from seven collections of poetry, including, “Before the Palm Could Bloom: Poems of Africa” (1998), “Becoming Ebony” (2003), “The River is Rising” (2007), “Where the Road Turns” (2010), “When the Wanderers Come Home” (2016) and “Praise Song for My Children: New and Selected Poems” (2020).