Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Wednesday July 1st at 7:00 pm


Red and White Dogs: An Introduction to the Poetry of James Merrill.

James Merrill (1926-1995) won every major literary award for his ten volumes of poetry, and is often described as one of the greatest contemporary American poets. He was also the younger half-brother of long time Hancock resident Charles Merrill. In celebration of the acclaimed, new biography, James Merrill: Life and Art  the poet's nephew Paul Merrill will share his understanding of his uncle's work in a presentation he is calling Red and White Dogs: An Introduction to the Poetry of James Merrill. Paul says, "Many of us can feel intimidated and perplexed by poetry, and James Merrill's work, especially so.  There's a lot of it, and it's not simple! The biography inspired me to read the poems again, with more pleasure and understanding. And I noticed the recurring presence, throughout his career, of poems about dogs. So I've gathered up five, and  they will be the structure of the evening's talk. Using personal anecdotes and information I learned in the biography I hope to make this gifted artist more approachable. And his great work more enjoyable. Everyone likes dogs. So did he." Free and open to all.

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