Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass will read his poetry today in Salomon 001 at 3 p.m., as part of the Writers on Writing series.
The Literary Arts Program, sponsor of the Writers on Writing series, has high hopes for the reading. Hass gave a reading at Brown in 2000 and then received a standing ovation from the audience, according to Professor of English Forrest Gander.
During his tenure as poet laureate from 1995 to 1997, Hass worked to encourage the nation's appreciation of poetry through a literacy campaign, which also highlighted the importance of environmental issues. Hass published three books of poetry, as well as a book of essays on his favorite 20th century poets. He has also translated many of the works of the Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet, Czeslaw Milosz.
Gander described Hass's poetry as meditative and eloquent.
"His work can be about a specific thing, picking a blackberry, or picking his nose," Gander said. He said Hass' work is distinctive because he is able to connect specific details with larger philosophical issues. Gander also said he is attracted to Hass' poetry because of the honesty and vulnerability found in his work.
Associate Professor of English Brian Evenson said the Writers on Writing series intends to feature a variety of writers, who will share their work with the Brown community. Coordinating with the series, the Literary Arts Program launched a new course this semester of the same name.
LR120: "Writers on Writing" aims to make students more aware of what is happening in contemporary fiction, said Peter Gale Nelson, assistant director of the Literary Arts Program.
"It provides direct access to a group of living writers," Nelson said.
Evenson, who teaches the class of 60 students, said he is excited to welcome Hass to Brown because he is a national figure, a poet laureate and a respected writer. Evenson's students recently read "Sun Under Wood," one of Hass's poetry collections.
"(Hass) is a very quick thinker, in addition to being a brilliant stylist," Evenson said.
According to Gander, all people - not just literary arts concentrators - can find meaning in Hass' work. In today's society, words can often be debased by the misleading way the government uses them or the convoluted language used in newspapers, Gander said.
"People are hungry for language that they are not encountering (elsewhere) and that is why they come to poetry," he said.
The poetry reading is scheduled to last for one hour and will be followed by a question-and-answer period. Nelson said he expects Hass will read from a range of his poetry, but may also focus on new work.
