Of all the words that can be used to describe Maria Mazziotti Gillan, an accomplished poet, English professor and director of the creative writing program here at Binghamton University, intimidating is not one of them. Upon entering room 149 in Science Building 1on Tuesday night to read select poems from her new book, “The Place I Call Home,” she was warmly greeted by members of the audience and chatted with those sitting around her.

She was well groomed and coordinated, from her shimmering red top and matching velvet scarf wrapped around her neck, to the deep red snake-shaped bracelet that coiled around her wrist. Her dark brown hair was cut short and neat. Her face, devoid of makeup, showed no emotion as she read the first two poems, the words worn from overuse.

Gillan began with a poem called “Growing Up Italian” and asked the audience to, while listening to the words, substitute Italian with whatever nationality they were. It was a reflection of her childhood and how difficult it was growing up “dark, greasy and poor.”

Gillan’s voice was dramatic and effective; clutching her book in her hands, she made sure to make eye contact with audience members. Her voice rose and fell to the tone of each poem, and many of her poems were intensely relatable.

“I write a lot about family and a lot about social class,” she said. “The poems are never only about the environment, but rather a mix with something personal in my life.”

Though she was sometimes funny, her poems had their dark moments. She read aloud a poem about the hardship of not being able to take care of her late husband, who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease.

The somber mood that followed didn’t last long. “I’m going to read a poem about a turnip,” Gillan announced.

She finished the reading with another poem about her late husband. She intertwines the events of his death with the events of the BP oil spill; the two events coincided on the same day in 2010. She shared that she combined the grief she felt for her husband with the grief she felt for the environment.

Kayleigh Wanzer, a graduate student studying creative writing, was impressed by the poetry reading.

“I think Maria is an amazing writer and a real gift to the department, so I wanted to hear the poetry that I am a fan of,” Wanzer said. “We’re really lucky to have a person of her caliber at our school.”

Joshua Gurian, a sophomore majoring in English, was caught off guard by the simplicity of the works.

“It was a little different than I thought; I was expecting a little more abstract imagery, but it felt like more of a short story,” he said.

Prior to the start of her career at BU 12 years ago, Gillan lived and worked in her hometown, Paterson, New Jersey. As a teen, she was discouraged at first from the idea of pursuing her interests.

“When I was 17 a cousin came to visit us for dinner,” she recalled. “He said, so what do you want to do?” Upon hearing her desire to become a poet, he said, “That is the most impractical thing I’ve ever heard.”

Gillan has worked as an adjunct professor at various institutions, such as Passaic County Community College. At Binghamton, she has received nothing but support for her field.

“The dean of Harpur College was extremely supportive, the new dean and the previous dean have been very helpful and have helped fund the writers,” Gillan said.

“My favorite part [of teaching] is watching people gain courage and believe in themselves,” she said. “Seeing people gain that they have a story to tell that’s worth telling, and can be very empowering.”