Conversation with Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin Televised

By Wendy Osher

W.S. Merwin, photo courtesy PBS Hawaii.

Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin shares his thoughts on creativity, conservation and communication in a conversation from his home on Maui.  The segment was filmed by PBS Hawai’i and airs Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 8:30 p.m., with an encore at 11 p.m. the same day.

Merwin, the first Poet Laureate named from Hawai’i, will discuss his upbringing, his literary and philosophical influences and his kinship with the Hawaiian culture.

From the lush setting of his Maui home, Merwin reflects on the meaning of language and the practical purpose of poetry.  He also takes viewers on a journey, sharing poems from various stages of his career.

A tour of his property also reveals a passionate and dedicated conservationist. A collection of endangered palm trees, tended by Merwin and his wife, Paula, is considered the largest collection of its kind in the world.

The one-hour interview entitled: A Conversation with America’s Poet Laureate: W.S. Merwin, was conducted by PBS Hawai’i President and CEO, Leslie Wilcox.