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 THE IRISH RUGBY .. . now with custom embroidered Michigan Academic Crest AlfPN kh, IDDIRiA~iCOhY IMPORTED IRISH WOOLENS 213 S. STATE, ANN ARBOR 662-9665 New Shipment of Michigan Rugbys Arriving 2N 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 Attention All Subscribers Out-of-towners. U of M departments A2 Residents Follow The Daily through Spring & Summer. In town.......$5.00 Out-of-town..... $7.00 13 issues (excluding June 26th & July 3rd) Fridays only Write TODAY to renrew your subscription: Include your name address & payment Send to The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 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, Think You're Pregnant? Free Pregnancy Te;t Completely Confidential Pregnancy Counseling Center 529 N. Hewitt, Ypsilanti Call:'434.3088 (any time) 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 /21ยง7....,... /1 ti z SOIA 4 4 ;_ - r ' ( 7 i S 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 i =mo - - I