Kinnell Reads From Own Work

Galway Kinnell, winner of the 1982 National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for poetry, read from his own works in Sever Hall yesterday afternoon.

The reading organized by the Harvard Advocate, marks Kinnell's second appearance at Harvard this semester.

Kinnell, who is a professor of creative writing at New York University, read from his new book Imperfect Thirst as well as from older works spanning his career. When asked why he chose a poem about one of his children to begin, he said that the type of day which showed winter was about to begin reminded him of his son.

For his second poem, Kinnell did not have the work in front of him. He asked the audience if anyone had the book in which the work was published. Several people did, and he borrowed the book from one of them.

After he finished, Kinnell nswered questions on his methods of writing, his fascination with Emily Dickinson and why he chose to teach in Iran, one of the many places the poet has lived.