Drawing on personal experiences, an award-winning writer presented a compassionate view of drug addiction to a South Campus audience last week.

Sheryl St. Germain's favorite poem, Addiction, shares the pain of her brother's overdose.

Herself having been immersed in the underworld of cocaine at one point in her life, St. Germain's poems expose a more empathetic viewpoint, as opposed to a preachy stance on substance abuse.

"I wanted them to be compassionate poems, not judgmental," she said. "Instead of saying 'Just say no,' my first line is written, 'The truth is I love it.'"

More than 55 students and faculty members attended the reading in the Student Union Building March 18.

The living room was lit with white non-scented candles surrounded by polished gravel.

St. Germain displayed an inviting and engulfing disposition, with her European black slides, animal-print silk blouse and exposed charm hanging from a silver necklace.

She recited several poems and essays on both light-hearted and profound subjects with titles from Eating to Building for War.

Most of her works deal with sexual exploration, women's strength and the hardships of drugs.

St. Germain reached her moment of clarity in her 20s.

Having dropped out of college, she was tripping on LSD in her bathroom with her boyfriend.

When she stared into the mirror, she saw a college dropout in a silly waitress' uniform and with frazzled hair and fake eyelashes.

At that point, St.Germain took off her restaurant garb, ripped away the phony lashes and reenrolled in college.

However, St. Germain does not thank LSD for ironically setting her straight.

She claims that she would have come to the realization sooner or later, with or without drugs. Now, the successful poet has her poetry for an escape.

"Writing is a substitute for getting high. It is an act of discovery within itself," she said.

During a question-answer session, St. Germain explained that her rituals have changed through the years.

In her college years, when she began to take her talents seriously, she would stay up all hours of the night, recklessly writing pages and pages at a time.

In later years, St. Germain discovered that being a morning person suited her better.

Before having to deal with phone calls, errands or whatever mishaps the day may bring, St. Germain said she takes advantage of the early morning tranquility to write.

Many students were moved from St. Germain's reading.

"I'm not a big poetry reader, but I really enjoyed her stuff. I am also from Louisiana, and I really enjoyed her free-running dialogue," D' Marques English, a South Campus student, said.

Miriam Harris, South Campus assistant professor of English, was proud to have St. Germain at TCC.

"I think the students that attended found a really positive outlook on poetry this evening," she said.

Raised in New Orleans, La., St. Germain has over five books published, and she is currently on tour for her most recent compilation, Swamp Song: The Making of an Unruly Woman.

Her writings have earned her numerous decorations, including two NEA fellowships and the William Faulkner Award for personal essay.

She is now an assistant professor at Iowa State University and resides in Ames, Iowa, with her son.

While much of St. Germain's poetry covers heavy ground with war, drugs and sexuality, a lighter side does exist in her work.

St. Germain has some unpublished poems on sheer stockings and food.

"Poetry doesn't all have to be about love and war. Think about how great it would be to write about bread pudding," she said.