I discovered two poets at the Tribute to Carcanet Press event the other night that have me excited. The first is Mimi Khalvati, whose work was adeptly read by Marilyn Hacker. I have some of her books on order and will say more when I’ve had a chance to see and process them on the page.
The second is Kei Miller, a striking man my age born in Kingston, Jamaica. He gave entrancing readings of Laura Riding Jackson’s “The Troubles of a Book” and Les Murray’s “The Meaning of Existence” before reading a few of his own poems. The one I remember in particular was based on a photograph he saw circa WWI of a woman giving up her pots for scrap metal. I wish I could remember the title. Unfortunately his books have not been released in the States, so I must find a way to get copies from the UK.
Also got to hear Susan Wheeler read for the first time, and Paul Muldoon and Eavan Boland. And the space was quite something–the National Arts Club off Gramercy Park.
Here was the full line-up: John Ashbery, Eavan Boland, Mark Doty, Marilyn Hacker, Kei Miller, Stanley Moss, Paul Muldoon, Alice Quinn (on behalf of Maureen O’Hara, Frank O’Hara’s sister), John Peck, Marie Ponsot, Susan Wheeler, David Yezzi, and the guest of honor Michael Schmidt.