Yale prof and Merrill biographer to speak at La Grua Center
It’s sort of surprising there have been no biographies of James Merrill, the world-renowned poet who lived in and was inspired by Stonington Borough.
Until now, anyway.
It’s excellent and appropriate that “James Merrill: Life and Art,” just out from the prestigious Knopf publishing house, was written by Langdon Hammer, chairman of the Yale English Department and a consummate authority on modern poetry. A Guggenheim Fellow and editor of “Hart Crane: Complete Poems and Selected Letters,” Hammer employs an adept touch and weaves an eloquent and sympathetic portrait of Merrill’s conflicted but ultimately triumphant life and career. The book will be essential reading not just for folks in the region but for poetry lovers everywhere.
On Saturday, Hammer will deliver the 11th Annual Merrill Lecture in the La Grua Center in Stonington.
— Rick Koster
Merrill Lecture, 5 p.m. Saturday, La Grua Center, 32 Water St., Stonington; Langdon Hammer; $5 suggested donation; reception follows; jamesmerrillhouse.org.
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