Short Essay Contest, Deadline April 15th

You are invited to enter the first New York State “Poetry Unites” short essay contest.

Open to all New York State residents for the best short essay (no longer than 600 words) about your favorite poem

After a successful six-year run in Europe, the Poetry Unites contest, inspired by Robert Pinsky's Favorite Poem project, has come to New York State.

Marie Howe, the New York State Poet (appointed by Governor Cuomo under the sponsorship of the New York State Writers Institute), and Corinne Evens, a philanthropist, in co-ordination with the Academy of American Poets, the New York State Writers Institute, and the New York State Office of Cultural Education, are pleased to announce a contest for the best short essay about a favorite poem. The contest is open to all New York State residents.

Awards:

·         The four winners of the main prize will be featured in short film profiles, which will be placed on the Academy of American Poets website, New York State Library website, New York State Writers Institute website, and may be broadcast in the USA by Public Television .

·         All winners will be invited to NYC gala in October 2014. The invitation will cover travel expenses within New York State.

More information:  http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/poetry_unites14.html

Picture:  Walker Hancock's bust of Robert Frost.

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Robert Pinsky on the PBS News Hour

A July 4, 2001 appearance by poet Robert Pinsky (who presents a free reading today 7/5 in Saratoga) on the PBS NewsHour was reshared yesterday on that program's website.

Pinsky read some astonishing lines from a poem by Walt Whitman ("By Blue Ontario's Shore") that emphasize the importance of self-criticism in any true expression of patriotism-- of recognizing our country's failings so that we may work to improve and perfect it.

Also featured is Pinsky's July 4, 2002 reading of poet John Hollander's poem about fireworks, "Sparklers."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2013/07/from-the-newshour-archives-robert-pinsky-on-the-4th-of-july.html

For a full schedule of free readings at the New York State Summer Writers Institute in Skidmore:
http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/sumread.html

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Hillary Clinton's 1969 Commencement Speech at Wellesley

Robert Pinsky, former U.S. Poet Laureate, who reads July 5th at the New York State Summer
Writers Institute in Saratoga, remembers Hillary Clinton's commencement speech at Wellesley, which he attended as a young poetry professor. The piece appeared yesterday in Slate:

"What was amazing, and not standard, was the gift for rising to an occasion: a political gift and a matter of talent surging toward its realization. As part of the prepared part of her speech, Hillary Rodham read a poem by a classmate, a composition also touchingly of that era. On that day in May, in other words, the notes that were struck may have been unremarkable, but the occasion was like hearing a very young, uniquely gifted musician play: something in the sheer, expressive command—a word used about athletes, as well as musicians—was extraordinary, unmistakable, and already formed."

More: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2013/07/hillary_clinton_wesleyan_commencement_speech_robert_pinsky_on_the_politician.html

Full schedule of free summer events:
http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/sumread.html

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