Interview And Gala Reading With Robert Hass

Hass_OM_0268_webA poet of great eloquence, clarity, and force, whose work is rooted in the landscapes of his native Northern California. In his tenure as U.S. Poet Laureate (1995-1997), he spent two years battling American illiteracy, armed with the mantra, “imagination makes communities.” His deep commitment to environmental issues led him to found River of Words (ROW) , an organization that promotes environmental and arts education in affiliation with the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

His many books of poetry include Field Guide, Praise, Human Wishes, and Sun Under Wood, a book of essays on poetry, Twentieth Century Pleasures. Hass translated Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet, Czeslaw Milosz, and edited Selected Poems: 1954-1986 by Tomas Transtromer, The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa; Poet’s Choice: Poems for Everyday Life; and Modernist Women Poets: An Anthology (with Paul Ebenkamp). His collection of poems Time and Materials won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

* On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 4 p.m. we welcome Robert Hass in an interview conducted by faculty poet, Carol Frost, followed by a Question & Answer Session.

* On Wednesday evening, January 20, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. we will once again welcome Mr. Hass to the stage for the festival’s Gala Reading.

These are both ticketed public events. See xxx link for more information or to purchase tickets.