Author Mita Mahato to Speak on Her Recent Book ‘Arctic Play’ The talk will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 in the Northen Auditorium.

By Lily Caldwell
October 29, 2024

Washington and Lee University’s Science, Society and the Arts (SSA) Conference will host author and artist Mita Mahato at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 in the Northen Auditorium inside Leyburn Library. The event is in partnership with W&L’s Shenandoah literary magazine, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this academic year and previously featured Mahato in 2021. The event is free and open to the public.

In her book “Arctic Play,” Mahato intertwines old and discarded materials with collaged papers alongside poetry to portray issues surrounding climate change. The book’s creative woven layers depict Arctic imagery in relation to the climate crisis through the innovative lens of poetry comix.

“We’re excited to host Mita because her work fits our 2025 conference theme, ‘Unlikely Pairings,’” says Stephanie Ducker ’26, the general chair for SSA 2025. “Her purposeful combination of art, poetry, science and prescient social issues in her latest collection, ‘Arctic Play,’ makes for the perfect discussion piece to kick off the 2025 SSA Conference.”