WEBVTT

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Do we have-- we do.

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Welcome, folks.

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If you're new to
this series, I'm

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Alison Deming, director
of the Poetry Center.

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This is the first in
the series of readings

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we'll be sponsoring throughout
the year, mostly readings

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by poets, a few stray fiction
writers and nonfiction

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writers that will be
bringing through the year.

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One little point of history
that I want everyone to know

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is that this is the 30th year
that the Poetry Center has

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sponsored a series like this.

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The first year was '61, '62.

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Stanley Kunitz and Kenneth
Rexroth were our first readers.

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So it's quite
astonishing to think

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that this place has
been around as long

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as it has and has
the history it does

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of bringing so many
stunning writers out here

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to enrich the desert.

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So we will try to
keep it going for you.

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A couple of announcements.

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One, we have ordered,
through the bookstore,

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Frank Bidart's In
the Western Night:

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Collected Poems 1965 to '90.

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Unfortunately, it didn't
get in for tonight.

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It should be here imminently,
let's say, early in the week.

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So if you go over to
the campus bookstore,

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the book should be
available shortly.

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And we're very sorry
they're not here tonight.

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Frank Bidart's works include
Golden State published in 1973,

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The Book of the Body in
1977, The Sacrifice in 1983,

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and most recently, In the
Western Night collected

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poems 1965 to '90.

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He grew up in Bakersfield,
California, where

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he will be heading
after his visit here

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and another visit in Berkeley.

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He currently lives
in Cambridge mass

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and teaches at both Wellesley
College and Brandeis

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University.

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His work, particularly
in recent years

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has been intense
dramatic monologues,

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which make expansive and
inventive use of the page.

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They've helped many
of us to enlarge

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our notion of what's possible
and important for poetry to do.

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No mere histrionic recounting
of events, these poems,

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to use the language of
our afternoon discussion

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at the Poetry Center, are
essential dramas of the soul.

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It's a pleasure and an honor to
introduce to you Frank Bidart

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Thank you.

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Thank you very much.

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