As part of National Poetry Month, Fayetteville author and award-winning poet Miller Williams, was named as Fayetteville’s Poet Laureate for 2011.
Williams, 81, was honored by Mayor Lioneld Jordan during a “Town & Gown” town hall meeting Wednesday, April 20 on the University of Arkansas campus.
Williams and Mayor Jordan
“Miller is a national poetic treasure, a state treasure and a Fayetteville treasure,” said Jordan, “and today we honor him as an important part of Fayetteville’s creative fabric.”
Williams is a former UA English professor who helped found the University of Arkansas Press, where he served as director for nearly 20 years. He has authored over 25 books and won several awards for his poetry, including the Amy Lowell traveling scholarship (1963), Arts Fund Award (1973), Prix de Rome (1976), and the Poets’ Prize (1990).
In 1997, Williams was selected by President Bill Clinton to read his poem, “Of History and Hope” at Clinton’s second inauguration.
“I don’t know what to say, except thank you,” said Williams before reciting a portion of his poem, “Compassion.”
This makes me so happy. Miller is the greatest.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be both a student and a friend of Mr. Williams. I think all who know him will agree that he’s an attentive and supportive teacher, a compassionate friend, and an exemplary human being; truly a treasure, and so deserving of this.
Actually, he read the whole poem. It is not long.
Dwain – No, he did not read the whole poem. He lost his way in the middle of reciting it. Instead of starting over, he paused, laughed a little and said, “Well that was going to be one of my poems to read to you, but now you know more about me than you did before.”
» Here is the full poem
Thanks for the correction.
Todd, the article says “Compassion” was the poem read, but in your follow up comments, you post an entirely different poem implying it to be the entirety of “Compassion”. What gives?
Thomas, maybe we’re seeing two different poems after clicking the link. It’s possible, considering the Google books link is to a specific page. Here’s a screenshot of the page which includes “Compassion.”
Got it