John Hersey Memorial Address: Robert Pinsky
Presenters: Todd Boss, Robert Casper, Billy Collins, Kirby Congdon, Erica Dawson, Rita Dove, Rhina P. Espaillat, Rachel Hadas, Matthea Harvey, Jane Hirshfield, Yusef Komunyakaa, Maxine Kumin, Paul Muldoon, Robert Pinsky, Kay Ryan, Harvey Shapiro, Timothy Steele, Mark Strand, James Tate, Natasha Trethewey, and Richard Wilbur. Writers’ Workshop Faculty: Todd Boss, Billy Collins, Jane Hirshfield, Yusef Komunyakaa, E.J. Miller Laino, Valerie Martin, and Dara Wier.
The stage setup for the 28th Annual KWLS. Photo by Ian Rowan.
The speakers of the 28th Annual KWLS. Photo by Curt Richter.
KWLS Executive Director Miles Frieden with former Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur. Photo by Curt Richter.
"Ecstasy and Discipline: Relations between Imagination and Form" with (L-R) moderator Timothy Steele, Erica Dawson, Rhinas Espaillat, Rachel Hadas, Maxine Kumin and Richard Wilbur. Photo by Ian Rowan.
Poets Jane Hirshfield and James Tate. Photo by Curt Richter.
Former Poet Laureate Rita Dove with David Wolkowsky at a reception. Photo by Curt Richter.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Richard Wilbur during
the John Malcolm Brinnin Memorial Address. Photo by Curt Richter.
Richard Wilbur at the end of a panel. Photo by Curt Richter.
Poet Erica Dawson. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
"Inquiries of Hope" a reading with Kirby Congdon. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poets James Tate and Yusef Komunyakaa during the panel, "A Poet's View: My Life in Poetry". Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rita Dove during the panel, "A Poet's View: My Life in Poetry". Photo by Sharon McGauley.
"The Borderline" a reading with Paul Muldoon. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Rita Dove. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poets James Tate and Rita Dove during their book signing. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet Maxine Kumin. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
The panel "On Translation" with Mark Strand and Richard Wilbur. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poet Robert Pinsky. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
The book sale at the 28th Annual KWLS. Photo by Curt Richter.
Historian Robert D. Richardson. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
The crowd for the 28th Annual KWLS. Photo by Nick Vagnoni.
2010 Scotti Merrill Scholarship recipient William Dowd. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
2010 Joyce Horton Johnson Fiction Award recipient Andrew Alexander. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
2010 Marianne Russo Memorial Scholarship recipient George Green. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poets Matthea Harvey, Jane Hirshfield and Yusef Komunyakaa during the panel, "The Music of Poetry". Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poet Todd Boss. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
A reception for the 28th Annual KWLS. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
"I Count Myself a Lucky Survivor" a reading with Harvey Shapiro. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Poet Natasha Trethewey during her reading. Photo by Sharon McGauley.
Photo-caption highlights from "Clearing the Sill of the World," the 28th annual Key West Literary Seminar. An extraordinary literary event, which brought together seven U.S. Poets Laureate, as many winners of the Pulitzer Prize, up-and-coming poetic talents, and a truly remarkable audience of readers, writers, teachers, and poetry lovers of all stripe.
Photographer Curt Richter partnered with the Key West Literary Seminar for the third consecutive year to continue work on his series of portraits of American writers. This is a sampling of the work Richter created.
Longtime Seminar volunteer Nick Vagnoni captured dozens of unique behind-the-scenes shots of this year’s Key West Literary Seminar with his fisheye lens.
photo by Nick Vagnoni The final day of the 28th Annual Key West Literary Seminar concluded with a panel discussion led by Timothy Steele on “the necessity of poetry.” Panelists Erica Dawson, Rhina Espaillat, Rachel Hadas, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Natasha Tretheway were in accord regarding its essential nature. Poetry is …Read More
photo by Curt Richter The John Malcolm Brinnin Memorial Event commanded a full house at the San Carlos Institute last night to pay tribute to Richard Wilbur, in whose honor this year’s Seminar is being held. The evening began with a performance of two songs from the Broadway musical “Candide” …Read More
Mark Strand and Richard Wilbur. Robert Pinsky and Rita Dove. James Tate and Yusef Komunyakaa. Paul Muldoon. Photos by Sharon McGauley.
Billy Collins spoke this morning on the relationship between poet and reader. This relationship is intimate and one that Collins is acutely aware of when writing. The maximum occupancy for a lyrical poem, Collins said, is two, the poet and the reader. He divided contemporary poetry into two camps. …Read More
Mark Strand Rita Dove Erica Dawson and Rhina P. Espaillat James Tate Richard Wilbur Photos by Sharon McGauley
photo by Sharon McGauley Timothy Steele gave a talk yesterday on the pleasures of metrical writing. This was a topic that many of the poets touched on throughout the day in their readings and panel discussions. In fact, Rhina Espaillat quipped that she invented meter as a schoolgirl when she …Read More
Robert Pinsky and Richard Wilbur in the lobby of the San Carlos Institute. Robert Pinksy giving the John Hersey Memorial Address on modernism and memory. Kay Ryan and Robert Pinsky in the lobby of the San Carlos Institute. Photos by Curt Richter.
photo by Curt Richter Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down The 28th Annual Key West Literary Seminar got under way last night with the John Hersey Memorial Address by poet Robert Pinsky. After a warm introduction and greeting by president of …Read More
After the long trip to Key West, the audience for the 28th annual Key West Literary Seminar settles in to the San Carlos for the afternoon registration. Long-time volunteer Eloise Pratt again helped out at the registration tables. Here, Eloise models a vintage 1989 KWLS sweatshirt. Photos by Curt Richter
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