National Book Award winner and two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Lucille Clifton recited 16 of her poems to a packed audience Tuesday in Filene Auditorium as part of her Montgomery Fellowship.
The poems mirrored the span of Clifton's interests and experiences, including reflections on slavery, her personal struggles with life-threatening illnesses and the aftermath of September 11. Clifton gave a brief introduction to each poem, addressing either the poem or on some issue connected to it.
"I thought a lot of her personality came through," said Provost Barry Scherr, who introduced Clifton at the beginning of the reading. "Her comments enriched the poetry she read."
Though the auditorium's seats were almost entirely filled, Clifton's performance remained interactive and her commentary drew frequent laughter. And before reading one of her poems, "Dialysis," Clifton discussed her own experiences with kidney transplant and cancer, drawing visibly emotional responses from the audience.
"I've had some interesting things happen in my life," she said. "I've had cancer three times, then I've had a kidney transplant -- my youngest daughter gave me a kidney. What am I doing here alive? I haven't the faintest clue."
Clifton dedicated the reading of the poem to Jill Wilcox, a former Dartmouth librarian whom she had met for the first time just prior to the start of the reading.
"I worked here at Dartmouth in the libraries, and then got diagnosed," Wilcox said. "Through the kidney failure and breast cancer I read and read and read her poems. It just kept me going; they were a great source of inspiration to me. ... And I was so touched when she dedicated that poem to me."
Following the reading Clifton answered questions from audience members, touching on a range of issues from the purpose of poetry to the extent nations are currently addressing issues like poverty and education.
Clifton returned frequently to the implications of being an individual.
"Someone once asked me how I try to heal others," Clifton said. "I'm not trying to heal others. I'm trying to heal Lucille. ... It's hard to try to be human everyday. And we have to wake up and try, and sometimes we don't feel like it."
Clifton will conclude her time at Dartmouth in mid-February, after which time the fellowship will be filled by the Pilobolus dance company.
