Knowing Imagination

We say God and the imagination are one . . . 

How high that highest candle lights the dark.

From: Wallace Stevens, “Final Soliloquy of the Interior Paramour”

I ran across that quote today from Wallace Stevens, one of the great American poets from the early part of the 20th century. How well he said it.

By no coincidence, I attended the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival last weekend where many poets came to read their work for many more poetry lovers. What a treat to spend a few days of little else but poetry and community. This festival has been offered every two years since 1986 and brings together some of the best and well-known poets in the world. Poets read from their own work, sit on panels to discuss aspects of writing, mingle with the crowds between presentations, and are accessible to fans and students. The atmosphere was very relaxed and informal while still offering dependable structure which kept things moving and the schedule, predictable. Here's the line-up from this year.

Some high points for me from this year's festival were the readings of the well-honored Robert Haas, former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner, and readings by Chris Abani, Billy Collins, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Sharon Olds, Jeffery McDaniel, and others. I'm sure I missed many others who I also would have enjoyed.

I'm already looking forward to attending the next Dodge Poetry Festival in 2010. If you love poetry, you come, too.