Poet champions the creative voice

Pinsky

obert Pinsky, who was poet laureate of the United States from 1997 to 2000 and created the "Favorite Poem Project," will open the 40th Anniversary Season of the Hyam Plutzik Memorial Poetry Series during Meliora Weekend. Pinsky will read from his works and discuss freedom, creativity, and the American experience at 8 p.m. Friday, October 12, in Hoyt Hall on the River Campus. The event is free and open to the public and will include a book signing.

Pinsky, a professor in the graduate writing program at Boston University, has published six collections of poetry, most recently Jersey Rain in 2000. He has also published four books of criticism, including The Sounds of Poetry, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

As poet laureate, Pinsky launched the "Favorite Poem Project," which became part of last year's bicentennial celebration of the Library of Congress. Designed to celebrate the voice and sound of verse read aloud, the project resulted in a database of thousands of audio and video documentaries that capture Americans reading their favorite selections.

The Plutzik Poetry series will host Ellen Bryant Voigt on October 30 and Nathaniel Mackey on November 29. Scheduled to read from their work in the spring are Anthony Hecht and Maureen Howard.

For additional information, call the Department of English at x5-4092.

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