“Does poetry need paper?”: Writing Advice from Don DeLillo October 19, 2012

This week, the Chicago Public Library Foundation awarded novelist Don DeLillo the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and to mark the occasion, DeLillo appeared at the downtown Harold Washington Library last night to read and discuss his latest work, The Angel Esmeralda, a collection of short stories.  It was an illuminating discussion.  Donna Seaman, the moderator, asked DeLillo about his influences and themes, but there were also many insights into DeLillo’s process as a writer.

This week’s free dose of poetic culture October 3, 2011

In celebration of National Poetry Day, W.S. Merwin, the 2010 U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, will give a free reading at the Cindy Pritzger Auditorium of the Harold Washington Library. The reading will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, but get there early; audience members will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Poetry Foundation, which sponsors the event.

Merwin’s work, with its narrative style and straightforward imagery that is accessible to even those who might consider themselves poetry-shy, dates back to the 1950s and includes nearly 30 books of poems. He is also an accomplished translator, having interpreted foreign language poetry for English-speaking audiences. An extended biography and selections of Merwin’s work are available on the Academy of American Poets website. I hope you’ll join me in listening to this legend live!