Detroit-born poet Philip Levine,
winner of the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate,
will read works from his distinguished career on Thursday, September 27th
at 7pm in the Detroit Institute of Arts auditorium. Levine grew up in Detroit during the 1930s,
and experienced first-hand the class, race and religious conflicts that were
part of the American experience during the mid-20th century. His
first two books On the Edge (1963)
and Not This Pig (1968) established Levine
as a distinctly urban poet, basing his most important work on the every-day
pleasures and cares of working-class families. His poems set in post-war Detroit, at the point when
industrial might began to unravel and social divisions accelerated, are
powerful evocations of the city and timeless works of art.
Tickets for Philip Levine’s reading are $15
($12 for members, seniors and students) are available on-line.
