Part 1 'Everything Matters'; Death, Dreams, Ancestors, Poetry and Voices of Kent: A Conversation with David Hassler, Executive Directive of Kent State University's Wick Poetry Center

Part 1 as the conversation begins, David and Joel share David's introduction and talk about poetry as a growing voice to address 'what troubles us' and the community of poetry providing a sense of belonging.

David gives a history of the Wick Poetry Center and his academic career.

The conversation examines 'how do we make sense of the world and manage our own life?' with and through poetry.

Discussion turns to the topic of death and the loss of David's mother as a source of need to write and make sense of the grief and loss for David, and how he was influenced by Maggie Anderson and Maj Ragain.

David shares his travels to Japan and Obon Festival in Japan and David's connection to the festival and its relationship to his mother's passing, his coming to terms with her death through poetry.

David reads his own poem 'Obon.'

Also discussed, how Maj Ragain lit the light of poetry in others.

David shares a dream about Maj, how he felt Maj visited David in the dream, and Maj shared to David, 'you cannot touch me.'

Threading the voices of poets, living and dead throughout the ages, poetry as a way of keeping poetry alive for our Kent poetry community.

David reads his own poem 'Sharing The Drum That I Am.'

Biography

David Hassler is the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University and cofounded Traveling Stanzas, a community arts project which brings poetry to the most urgent and evolving needs of our communities through expressive writing interventions, interactive exhibits, and digital platforms. Most recently in May 2023, Hassler presented the Poets for Science project with poet Jane Hirshfield at the Nobel Prize Summit at the National Academy of Sciences. Hassler is the author or editor of ten books of poetry and nonfiction, including Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic. His play, What We Learned While Alone, drawn from the Dear Vaccine anthology, debuted at the National Academy of Sciences in October 2022. Hassler is also the author of the play, May 4th Voices: Kent State, 1970, based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project, which was produced in 2020 as a national radio play. Hassler’s awards include Ohio Poet of the Year, the Ohioana Book Award, and the Carter G. Woodson Honor Book Award. His memoir 'Prayer Wheel' is forthcoming. His TEDx talk, “The Conversation of Poetry,” conveys the power of poetry to strengthen communities. In addition to his creative writing publications, he has co-authored articles on poetry, technology, and healing in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, and the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.