Page 8- The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 20, 1987
Poet
By Suzanne Misencik
This past term, the poet Galway
Kinnell, winner of the Pulitzer
Prize and author of numerous
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Galway
collections of poetry, prose, andI
translations including The Book of I
Nightmares, taught the Honors
College DeRoy seminar. Every I
second or third Thursday the poet,i
who lives in Vermont and teaches
at New York university, flew into
Ann Arbor to spend four days with
a group of fifteen students. With an
abundance of energy Kinnell con -
ducted intensive workshops and
gave numerous talks on various to -
pics ranging from the pros and cons
of free verse and formalism, to the
"poetry" of the animal kingdom,
complete with "recitations" from
such unlikely poets as wolves and
humpback whales.
An extraordinarily patient and
kind man, Kinnell, with only a few
hours before his flight, took time
after the last class to tell of how he
began his own career, and to offer
some insights into the nature of the
poet's craft.
Kinnell, who grew up in Rhode
Island, began writing when he was
"18 or 19. In childhood I was a
great reader," he said. "I didn't know
if I could write, or what form my
writing would take, only that I
wanted to be a writer."
Kinnell later studied at Princeton
with Charles Bell, whom he claims
to be one of the greatest influences
on his own work. "And of course,
there is Yeats," Kinnell, who is
half Irish himself, adds with a smile
and a nod. "Of the poets writing to -
day I am particularly interested in
the French poet Yves Bonnefoy and
the Polish poet Adam Zagajewsky.
Among the Americans, there are
too many I admire to try to name
them all. I would fear leaving
someone out."
When asked what he, as such an
accomplished poet, could suggest as
helpful to the education of young
writers, Kinnell encouraged the de -
velopment of what seemed to be a
two-fold sensibility, an appreciation
and respect for both the intellectual
and the sensual of life. "Know the
things of the world- trees,
flowers, birds, and rocks. Know the
way in which people earn their
livings," he said is his typically
soft-spoken, gentle manner. "But
also, learn languages, and know the
great formal works outside the
genre of poetry. Know Plato's
dialogues, and Mozart's sonatas."
Kinnell addressed the question of
the value of publication early in
one's career by pointing to the true
task of any writer, regardless of age.
"The problem" said Kinnell, "is to
write well. Publishing is, of
course, an aspect of writing, but
not the important one. There is a
natural desire to publish that one
cannot suppress altogether, but
should try to control. Kinnell also
sees that "rejections are upsetting,"
and could discourage the beginning
writer. "American poetry is in an
unusual phase right now," Kinnell
explained. "There are so many peo -
ple writing. It is a wonderful situa-
tion."
In light of what Kinnell sees
poetry as capable of achieving, his
pleasure in today's "unprecedented
number" of writers seems perfectly
natural. "Poetry can help make us
whole, help bring us into harmony
with existence," he said.
However, when asked if this po -
wer of poetry is related to inspi -
ration, Kinnell answered, somewhat
regretfully, "There is not as much
as inspiration in poetry today as
there used to be. In the past, inspi -
ration was more direct and full. Our
contact with that world is less clear
now." However,while Kinnell may
see the modern poet's contact with
a more magical realm of existence
as somewhat weakened, his extra -
ordinary contributions to American
poetry and to teaching, are certainly
both inspired, and inspiring.
Galway Kinnell is the author of
eight collections of poetry includ-
ing What a Kingdom It Was, Flo -
wer Herding of Mount Monadnock,
Body Rags, First Poems 1946-
1954, The Book of Nightmares,
The Avenue Bearing the Initial of
Christ into the New World: Poems
1946-64, Mortal Acts Mortal
Words, and Selected Poems. He
has also published two collections
of prose, Black Light and Walking
Down the Stairs: Selections from
Interviews, and has translated
works of Rene Hardy, Yves
Bonnefoy, Yvan Goll, and Francois
Villon.
Kinnell talks about writing
,.
'
4
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4
Kinnell, a Pulitzer Prize winner, teaches a writing seminar at the
University.
Secret' proves to be
a failure for Fox
4
By Geoffrey Riklin
The Secret of My Success
sports the name Michael J. Fox,
but it is nothing more than an
unentertaining star vehicle.
Fox plays a farm boy from
Kansas with a college degree who
greatly desires to go off to the Big
Apple and make himself the head of
a major corporation. Mom and Dad
don't understand this ambition, but
Fox explains it all when he says,
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Spring/Summer 1987 Calendar of Events
FRIDAY, MAY 1, Dean's Commencement Coffee Hour - Dean's
Office, 1110 School of Education Building, 2 to 4 p.m.
For information and reservations, contact the Office of the Dean, 1111 School of Education
Building, or call (313) 763-4288.
SATURDAY, MAY 2. SigLOGO Spring Conference - Whitney
Auditorium, 1309 School of Education Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sponsored by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning
(MACUL).
For information, contact Christine Canning, Professional Development Office, 1225 School of
Education Building, or call (313) 763-9497.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5. Emeritus Reunion Reception - Tribute Room,
1322 School of Education Building, 2 to 4 p.m.
For information and reservations, contact the Office of the Dean, 1111 School
of Education Building, or call (313) 763-4288.
SUNDAY / TUESDAY, JUNE 14-16. Community College Summer
Institute, "Shaping Today's Community College Mission, Programs
and Resources to Meet Tomorrow's Expectations "-Michigan League,
7 to 9 p.m., Sunday; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday; and 8 a.m. to 1:30
p.m., Tuesday.
Participants: administrators and teams of administrators from the nation's
community colleges. Registration fee: $150; $125 per team member.
For information, contact the Program in Higher and Continuing Adult Education, 2007 School
of Education Building, or call (313) 764-9472.
JUNE / AUGUST, Technology in Education - Various dates and
locations.
Topics include: Microcomputer Support for Educational Research, June 9-
10; Introduction to Instructional Computing, June 17-19; Planning and Eval-
uating a Computer Education Program, July 28; Science Software Fair, July
29; Thinkers League Facilitator Training, July 22 or August 19. Some semi-
nars are available for CEUs or graduate credit by arrangement. Variable fees.
For complete schedule of seminars and fees: contact Professional Development Office, 1225
School of Education Building, or call (313) 763-9497.
JUNE / AUGUST, Summer Institute on Teaching - Various dates
and locations.
Series includes: Motivating Elementary Students: Theory and Practice, June
22-23; Human Development and Socialization of Adolescents, June 22-23;
Developing Effective Class Groups, July 7-10; Instructional Theory into Prac-
tice, August 3-7. Some institute sessions are available for CEUs or graduate
credit by arrangement. Variable fees.
For complete institute schedule and fees: contact Professional Development Office, 1225 School
"It's something I have to do," and
then,"There's a whole world out
there, big, exciting." And packed
with cliches. So off he goes,
managing eventually to get a job
through a relative and spotting a
great opportunity to really help the
company, save it in fact. In the
process of saving the business, Fox
runs into problems, intrigue,
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romance, and even adventure. The
result is boredom and a very sloppy
film.
A number of things are neces -
sary for a film to succeed. None of
the required ingredients are present
in Secret. None of the characters are
worth a damn, none of the perfor -
mances rise above amateurishness,
the script is a total loss, and the
plot has been done far too many
times before.
Six people bear most of the
responsibility for this piece of
rubbish. The director, Herbert Ross,
once upon a time made The Turning
Point Reviewing his career since
then it is quite clear that he should
find another line of work. Michael
J. Fox shows no sign of having
any talent at all. The writers Jim
Cash, Jack Epps, Jr., and A. J.
Carothers, should be knouted. The
last offender is Helen Slater, whose
acting progresses from poor to
dmadful
Fox is a highly profitable little
pubescent, but if he continues to
burn his fans they will soon desert
him, and properly so. The secret of,
success is getting lucky and doing
good work. Fox already has the first
part of the equation so let's hope
that someone whispers to Fox the
second segment.
4
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4
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i
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The University of
Michigan offers a g
education, a wealth
cultural diversity, and
beautiful campus to boot.
reat
of
a
In
rine
are
4 :::
spite
of
these
studer
e
nts
attributes,
often overwhelmed by the
somewhat unfriendly nature
of the university.
We wolverines are
sometimes accused of being
very reserved, even uptight.
With finals looming just
ahead, anxieties are as high
as ever. Think about it,
when was the last time you
said "Hi" to a stranger as
40/:/\
L7
you passed
on the street.
Why not make the first move
and break the tension!
- 4tr ft farrlIf14. nf~f~h l~
I
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