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03/14/2016
By Katharine Webster

Three-time U.S. Poet Laureate was relegated to 鈥渢he dumb class鈥� in eighth grade 鈥� also known as 鈥渢he bad class鈥� 鈥� because he didn鈥檛 study or behave the way he was supposed to, he told students in Asst. Prof. Maggie Dietz鈥檚 poetry class before a public reading for the Writers on Campus Series.

The unconventional jokes, behaviors and mental habits that once got him into trouble now earn him praise because they enliven his poetry, he said. He employs a mix of vernacular and literary language and odd juxtapositions.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 very uncomfortable with purity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 like mockery, blasphemy, teasing.鈥�

One student asked him why his poems included so many references to Greek mythology. Pinsky said he appreciated the Greeks because they understood that any instrument or person can be a source of both beauty and torture.

鈥淭he Greeks were in touch with the doubleness of experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 infinitely worth thinking about 鈥� much more so than being 鈥榥ice.鈥欌��

Pinsky was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate by the Librarian of Congress in 1997 and served an unprecedented three terms. During his tenure, he founded the , which sponsored public poetry readings by Americans from all walks of life and looked at the role poetry plays in people鈥檚 lives. Dietz, who had studied with Pinsky as a graduate student at Boston University, directed the project, co-editing several anthologies of favorite poems and producing a series of videos.

One of Dietz鈥檚 students asked Pinsky about his references to music and instruments. Pinsky told him music 鈥� learning to play jazz saxophone 鈥� saved him in high school and serves him now, providing the rhythms and sounds that turn his ideas into poems. In fact, he only decided to become a poet when he realized he wasn鈥檛 good enough to make it as a professional musician, he said. Some of Pinsky鈥檚 books have musical names and he often performs his poems

鈥淚 almost do have a song or musical feeling in my head when I write a poem,鈥� he said, before demonstrating the rhythm and repeated sounds in a favorite verse. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a little phrase or riff.鈥�

Matthew Raywood, a sophomore creative writing major from Newburyport, said he enjoyed hearing Pinsky read his poems aloud: The students could hear how he chose words for their sounds as much as their meanings. He also appreciated Pinsky鈥檚 use of dissonant elements.

鈥淚 always like to take things that are unrelated and see if I can find a tie,鈥� Raywood said.

Sam Aikins, a sophomore political science major from Laurel, Md., said meeting Pinsky inspired him to work harder at writing poetry, 鈥渘ot just the way you think it鈥檚 supposed to be, but the way it needs to be 鈥� and not to worry if it rhymes.鈥�

He also enjoyed learning that being a poet wasn鈥檛 Pinsky鈥檚 first choice of career 鈥� and yet he ended up becoming America鈥檚 poet.

鈥淧oetry can connect to everyone,鈥� Aikins said. 鈥淲e all find our way to poetry in some fashion.鈥�

Pinsky enjoyed working with Dietz鈥檚 students, too.

鈥淚 thought the students were great 鈥� very poised and articulate,鈥� he said.

After the class, Pinsky held a reading at O鈥橪eary Library that was free and open to the community. 51视频 75 people attended the event, during which Pinsky explained and read several of his poems, including unpublished works, and fielded questions.