Television, music and clothing aren't the only things that acquire new trends every few years.

"New Trends in American Poetry" is the topic of a panel discussion hosted by the UA Poetry Center's Visiting Poets and Writers Reading Series tonight.

Poets Loren Goodman, A. Van Jordan and Suji Kwock Kim lead the discussion. Two students pursuing a master of fine arts degree from the UA, Andrew Bode-Lang and Sommer Browning, will also participate in the panel discussion.

"Personally, in regards to the literary trends in poetry, I think poets are going back to focusing seriously on mastering their craft - their personal craft and the universal craft of poetry making," said Ann Fine, events coordinator for the UA Poetry Center.

She said slam poetry and spoken-word poetry are also growing trends in the poetry scene.

"Not to cop out, but I don't believe there are as many new trends in poetry as people purport," Jordan said.

However, he said there are definitely new variations on old themes.

"Most contemporary poems can be traced back to a tradition that they are extending, not beginning," he added.

Jordan used to teach at the College of New Rochelle in New York and with the AmeriCorps WritersCorps program in Washington, D.C. He is currently a visiting assistant professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"I'm surprised whenever the phone rings and it's someone who has read my work and wants me to travel to some town to read. It's always a pleasant surprise," Jordan said about his invite to the UA.

Although Jordan will read his poems to any group of people who will listen, he said he enjoys an audience of college students.

"What I like about reading to a college community is that they often have close listeners in the audience - people who write poetry, people who study poetry or people who actually love reading it," he said.

Kim attended Yale College and was also educated at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Seoul National University. She now teaches in the English department at Drew University in New Jersey.

Goodman, a Columbia University graduate, got his master of fine arts in poetry at the UA. He also received a master of arts from the State University of New York, Buffalo, in English literature.

"For me, it's a homecoming - something I've dreamed about," Goodman said of his return to the UA.

He is currently pursuing doctorate degrees at SUNY, Buffalo, in English literature and at Kobe University in sociology. Goodman lives in Japan and is active in martial arts.

Goodman has been a part of college communities in New York, Tucson and Japan for 15 years.

"There's something about being in the university environment, among students, that is constantly energizing, inspiring and full of possibilities. Perhaps it is the flying around of youth, passion, books and juices," he said.

The Poetry Center's panel discussion will take place in the Modern Languages auditorium tonight at 8.