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“I hope that one of the things a reader will get out of this book is the urgency for compassion.”

For Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Poet-in-Residence and Senior Adjunct Instructor Michael Lauchlan, that urgency is at the heart of Running Lights, a collection of 66 poems written over the past decade.

Published by Cornerstone Press, Running Lights is Lauchlan’s third book of poetry. His previous collection, Trumbull Ave., was released in 2015 through Wayne State University Press. His earlier work also includes And the Business Goes to Pieces and Sudden Parade.

“My poems are in the general category of lyrical narrative poetry,” Lauchlan said. “They are music that tells a story. They are free verse but highly formal in the sense that I am listening to the cadences and attending to the lines in a certain way.”

Lauchlan’s journey into poetry began at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, where he studied from 1972-73 under then-Poet-in-Residence Dudley Randall, a Black Detroit-based poet and publisher. Randall not only inspired Lauchlan through his own work but also encouraged him to write.

“Dudley Randall was totally kind to me,” Lauchlan said. “When I had a little chapbook published, he was there. When I did a reading, he showed up there. As a really young person, you can’t appreciate what that means, but I appreciate that now. His generosity with all of us was exemplary.”

Lauchlan, who grew up in nearby Highland Park, said he did not come from what he called a “university family.” His father worked as a butcher, and his mother was a clerk. That background helped shape his approach to writing, particularly his desire to make poetry accessible without sacrificing its complexity.

“In our house there were hardly any books, so I like the work to be approachable,” Lauchlan said. “We use the word accessible, but sometimes we overuse that word. Work can be both approachable and challenging to the reader simultaneously.”

The title poem, "Running Lights," places readers behind the wheel on a long, exhausting road trip. Against a backdrop of darkness and bad weather, the narrator struggles to stay awake while following the lights of semitrucks along Interstate 90. 

“It is based on trying to make an all-night, sleep-deprived drive across I-90 in bad weather and following behind semis,” Lauchlan said.

Although this is Lauchlan’s first year as poet-in-residence at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, his relationship with the University spans decades. He began teaching at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in 2004 and has taught in a variety of settings, including adult education and high school.

"I’ve taught in a variety of places. ... In between, I had a couple of decades teaching high school English," Lauchlan said. "High school teachers are saints."

Today, Lauchlan teaches two courses at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ: Study of Poetry and Creative Writing. His experience as a writer informs how he encourages students to approach literature, emphasizing close reading and the choices writers make rather than focusing solely on themes or symbolism.

“I’m always asking students to ask the question, ‘What is the writer doing?’ Not ‘What is the theme?’ or ‘What does this mean?’ or ‘What does this symbolize?’” Lauchlan said.

“I teach my students that writers principally are working with their hearts, the students’ hearts, the readers’ hearts. My awareness of you is what allows me to communicate, and that’s the key.”

The process of assembling Running Lights was not without its challenges.

“I think the most difficult part of any writing process is setting aside the time to get clear and do it,” Lauchlan said. “I actually love every part of the writing process. I love the experience of catching words and seeing what follows from it, or waking up with a line in my mind and words on my lips and trying to wrestle with it, getting interrupted and coming back to the mess I left and trying to make some sense of it. And revising it, that’s all joy.”

Among the poems he particularly enjoys reading is “Blades and Mercy,” which recounts a potentially violent confrontation that ultimately does not escalate into physical violence. Lauchlan said the poem explores how mercy can emerge when violence is averted. 

The poem also reflects the influence of Detroit poet Philip Levine, whose work shaped Lauchlan’s writing when he was young.

Lauchlan hopes readers will engage with Running Lights and continue supporting literature by investing in the work of living writers.

“I welcome anyone to buy a book, but I think everyone who reads and who engages in discourse about literature is supporting the work of literature,” Lauchlan said. “Invest in writers who are still alive. The dead guys are great, and I am not knocking that, but living writers could sell a few books. That would be a good thing for all of us.”

For Lauchlan, poetry is not simply an exercise in language. It is also a way to preserve history and remind people of their connections to one another.

“Poetry is about memory, and memory is radical,” Lauchlan said. “And we live in a moment when we are told to forget a lot of crucial history. And we are told to forget our connection to each other.” 

Lauchlan will be reading from "Running Lights" on Tuesday, Nov. 17 in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Black Box Theatre, located on the Lower Level of the Student Union. A reception starts at 6:30 p.m. with the reading to follow at 7 p.m.

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