Though I've learned to expect little of interest to me emanating from the taste range of the poet laureates who pass thru the Library of Congress, I have to admit I was pleased and surprised by the selection of W.S. Merwin for the 2010-2011 season. When I was an undergraduate at Washington University in St. Louis, the English Department had a taste for poets published by Atheneum and I can remember writing an essay on Merwin's book THE DRUNK IN THE FURNACE for a faculty member who was also an Atheneum poet, Donald Finkel. Even when I was teaching at Philistine University, I treated the relationship between Merwin's prose poetry and his more conventional-looking poetry. I would still prefer reading a translation by W.S. Merwin over those by many other translators.
Even if this is the only reading curated by W.S.M. during his term as PL which I'll attend, I've never had a chance to witness either poet live (except for the year Robert Bringhurst was--purely by accident--my next-door neighbor). I've prepared myself by sorting out the videos of Gander & Bringhurst on youtube and would like to single out one in particular which was conceptualized by Forest Gander (that is, he's credited with "poem, music, video"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAe726yL8K8
"April 21 - Witter Bynner Fellowship Reading. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin has chosen two seasoned voices in poetry, Forrest Gander and Robert Bringhurst, to receive the 2011 Witter Bynner Fellowships, and will introduce the poets on April 21 at the Library of Congress. Gander and Bringhurst will read their poems at 6:45 p.m. in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building. A book signing and reception will follow the event."
Barry
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