Poet in Person: Philip Levine

I first heard of Philip Levine during my years at Northwestern University (1977 - 1981).  I read Poetry magazine regularly, and he was just the second winner of the generous Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 1987.  I often imagined winning the Pulitzer Prize, which Levine won in 1995, and the Lilly Prize, too, not so much for any self-aggrandizement, but more for the curiosity about where poetry income came from. 

I am glad to know that Brooklyn Heights is home not just for Levine, but also for Walt Whitman, Hart Crane, and WH Auden, the last of which of course is tops for among my favorites.  At age 86, Levine must be among the last of the old guards of poetry, who is inspired by crowd and scenery at Fulton Landings and also disenchanted at newer establishments in the city.  

One last thing, director and producer Guy Shahar is the namesake of a troubled but quite likable adolescent at The Learning House, where I was the Clinical Director (1993 - 1995).  Sadly our Guy died in a car accident.  This is an example of what I call synchronicity.