We are very fortunate to have the Scottish poet, George
Macbeth who has given a number of readings
in Britain, in other parts of the United
Kingdom throughout the world and now is on a two month tour
here in the United States.
Mr Macbeth, is currently giving most of his attention
when he is not writing poetry to the BBC,
he is the arts and poetry producer for the third program
and has put of course, a great deal of time and attention
on the poetry programs.
We'll see your next--
[RECORDING STARTS OVER] This, except, for the meeting,
the poetry awards next week, is the last meeting
for the season of the Ruth Stephan Poetry Center,
we hope we'll see you next October.
Tonight we are very fortunate to have the Scottish poet, George
Macbeth who has given a number of readings in Britain,
in other parts of the United Kingdom throughout the world
and now is on a two month tour here in the United States.
Mr Macbeth, is currently giving most of his attention
when he is not writing poetry to the BBC,
he is the arts and poetry producer for the third program
and has put of course, a great deal of time and attention
on the poetry programs.
In that connection for about five years
he inaugurated and he edited the new comment program, which
now I believe has changed its name
and is in a slightly different format.
He also at the present though he says he has never taught,
is teaching a course at Tufts that is
the Boston University, a section in London of 20th century
poetry.
He's been giving me some very good tips on that subject.
Mr. Macbeth, was born in Lanarkshire
in South Central Scotland.
He came to Yorkshire when he was a child of 4,
and he spent most of his adult life of course,
in Britain and in and around London
since he left Oxford, where he took a first in grades at New
college.
Mr. Macbeth's versatility in poetry is somewhat remarkable.
He has written poetry for children,
we have a book at the center we hope to get another shortly,
he has written or he has edited three anthologies
for the penguin people.
The first is the penguin Book of Sick Verse, which
is a somewhat peculiar title and I hope it's not a pun.
The Book of Animal Verse, which is also
an interesting title and The Book of Victorian Verse.
Then he has in addition to any number
of periodical publications several books,
including The Broken Places, A Doomsday Book,
The Color of Blood, and The Night of the Stones.
I think a good many of you might be
interested in a recent poem on the occupation of Stalingrad,
which occurs in the Poetry Review for this winter.
I think we're especially fortunate to have Mr. Macbeth
tonight, because at least in the last decades,
we have been so much concerned with the variety
and the vitality of American poetry as we hope,
that we sometimes forget that other people, especially
other people who can use the English language are writing.
And I think it will be most interesting to us tonight
to have as distinguished a practitioner as Mr Macbeth.
[APPLAUSE]