I'm so excited about what's happening here tonight
and the opportunity that we have here
to have these poets in Tucson.
It's such a great gift.
And we're grateful to the Bagley Wright Lecture Series
for bringing this group of poets here.
And what a great gift to Tucson to be able to host them.
It's my pleasure to welcome up Matthew Zapruder, who's
going to talk a little bit more about the poets who
will be speaking tonight.
Matthew's most recent books of poems,
Come On All You Ghosts and Sun Bear,
both are available as well as this book
Why Poetry, which is a series of poems
that he wrote about the YMCA.
I'm just kidding.
That's not what it is.
[LAUGHTER]
It's an amazing book of essays, thinking about a big question:
Why poetry?
It's a really beautiful book.
Some of you in this room have read it.
And if you haven't, I hope you'll
pick one up and read the book as well,
and enjoy his big thinking about a big topic.
So please, help me welcome Matthew Zapruder.