Irish culture is more than leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and beer.

Poetry plays a large part in Irish culture and has inspired writers and readers alike for hundreds of years. WSU English professor Donna Potts will address this in her presentation about Irish literature tomorrow and share her admiration for Irish author Seamus Heaney.

“When I read Heaney’s poetry, I liked it better than most contemporary American poetry, so I wrote a proposal on it and submitted it to an Irish Studies conference,” Potts said, whose research focus is on Irish studies. “I was accepted, and when I attended the conference, I attended a reading by the Irish language poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, which left me fascinated with the Irish language.”

Potts received the Fulbright lecturing award, which allowed her to spend three years in Ireland. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually-designed study and research projects allowing the candidate to participate in defining activities during one academic year in a country other than the U.S., according to the Fulbright Organization.

Potts also wrote a book called the “Contemporary Irish Poetry and the Pastoral Tradition,” which has chapters on several poets who wrote in the pastoral tradition of classical poets, like Horace and Virgil.

 “I discuss how pastoral poetry (the poetry of shepherds and farmers) appeals to many contemporary Irish poets who are concerned about ecological issues,” she said.

Potts’ presentation is a part of the English department’s Colloquia Series that began in the fall of 2013. Composition Instructor and series organizer Kate Watts said the series is meant to highlight topics in English studies that are of interest to university undergrads.

“We asked our colleagues to share their passions and their interests in these 50 minute sessions,” Watts said. “We hope the topics are interesting for an undergraduate audience, and we actively seek suggestions for sessions from students.”

Watts said the English department hopes to have three to four sessions this spring. The upcoming sessions are still in the planning phase.

“Our goal remains: offering a series accessible to students across the university; the series isn’t just for English majors,” Watts said. “Students from any discipline are encouraged and welcome to attend the series.”

Potts will present her lecture, “Digging through Irish Literature” at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Bundy Reading Room of Avery Hall.

Reporting by Brookelynn Gradit