Its been a sad month for poetry. This weekend as Julie O Callaghan accepted an award on behalf of her late husband, I cant help but think of times past. I worked for about seven years organizing and producing a poetry festival in Dun Laoghaire, and I am remembering the work the poets who directed the festival John McAuliffe, Conor O Callaghan and of Cliodhna Shaffrey who founded it with Patrick Galvin. Many poets were fantastically supportive to the festival, but especially I am thinking of Seamus Heaney and Dennis O Driscoll and their fantastic generosity and gracious presence. There were so beautiful readings and lectures over the years, and I am thinking about hearing Helen Vendler, WS Merwin, Don Patterson, August Klienzhlar, Micheal Longley, Paul Muldoon, Caitriona O Reilly, Sharon Olds and Joire Graham, Marylin Hacker, Tony Harrison, Craig Raine, Christopher Ricks and so many others.
Many of these poets travelled to Ireland because they were welcomed as friends by Seamus and Maire Heaney. I am posting Lannan foundation interview with WS Merwin, friend of Heaneys and who was a protégé of Robert Graves. Robert Graves wrote a poem for my mother in her young days, when he travelled to Ireland, his own father was an important Irish scholar. Poets come here because they are interested in our contemporary poetic heritage and culture, I hope that there will always be a welcome and a special interest in its shelter.
Many of these poets travelled to Ireland because they were welcomed as friends by Seamus and Maire Heaney. I am posting Lannan foundation interview with WS Merwin, friend of Heaneys and who was a protégé of Robert Graves. Robert Graves wrote a poem for my mother in her young days, when he travelled to Ireland, his own father was an important Irish scholar. Poets come here because they are interested in our contemporary poetic heritage and culture, I hope that there will always be a welcome and a special interest in its shelter.
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