Robert Pinsky: Modernism and Memory
Photo by Sharon McGauley Robert Pinsky is an acclaimed poet, translator, and essayist whom The New York Times has called "our finest living specimen of this sadly rare breed." He has spoken of poetry as "one of the most fundamental pleasures a person can experience," and as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1997-2000, he established the hugely successful Favorite Poem Project, in which Americans from a wide range of backgrounds shared their favorite poems, asserting the role of poetry in the lives of Americans.
In this recording of the John Hersey Memorial Address from the 2010 Key West Literary Seminar, Pinsky reads some of his own favorite poems while musing about the process of remembering and forgetting in the context of modernist poetry. Pinsky discusses work by well-known poets including John Keats, Walter Savage Landor, Dante, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Allen Ginsberg, and Richard Wilbur. He also discusses an anonymous poem from the 18th century that was left with an infant at England's Foundling Hospital; a visit he made to a Zulu Sangomo on a trip to Africa; and the work of psychoanalytic writer Hans Loewald. Pinsky's opening remarks on Cuban patriot José Martí refer to the history of the San Carlos Institute, the venue where the lecture was given, and where Martí campaigned for Cuba's independence from Spain.
From KWLS 2010: Clearing the Sill of the World
(49:48) / 30.4 MB
To download, right-click here (Mac users: ctrl+click) and choose 'save as'
This recording is being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2010 Robert Pinsky. Used with generous permission from Robert Pinsky.
The Key West Literary Seminar's audio archives contain more than 20 years of
unique presentations by some of the world's most influential writers. The best
of these recordings are now being digitized and released online in .mp3 format
for use by educators, students, and readers worldwide. To be notified when new
recordings are issued,
connect with us via email, become our fan on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter, or subscribe
via iTunes
or your preferred RSS reader.
Recordings are produced for the web by Arlo Haskell, with recording and engineering services provided by Private Ear Recording Studios.
Please contact arlo [at] kwls [dot] org with any questions, concerns, or special requests.
Each January, we explore a different literary theme through lectures, panel presentations, readings, informal gatherings, and discussions. In January 2011, we explore food in literature with our 29th annual Seminar, THE HUNGRY MUSE
.
Audio recordings from the Key West Literary Seminar are available for educational
and noncommmercial use only. All rights to the recorded material belong to the
author or authors speaking. Recordings may not be retransmitted without the
preceding statement, and retransmissions must include a link to the original
source on www.kwls.org.
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of
Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Leave a comment