to exacerbate the harshness of life, and there is
an attempt to come to terms with the difficult
things.
[Molloy:] Does the title of the book show a
greater willingness to express your subjectives?
Yes. My own life, place, time, and people
I’m living with are the subject of that book.
I remember reading at one time something
you said about eros and thanatos—that the sensi-
tive person felt both and wanted to reconcile the
problems they raised by identifying them. What
did you mean by that identification?
I’m not sure what I meant. But there is a
point where eros andthanatos are the same
thing, where the love of existence passes beyond
the love of that part of existence which is one’s
own time on earth and includes existence beyond
one’s own time. Of course, at that point one
becomes the sprouting Irish grass.
Source:Galway Kinnell, Michael Molloy, and Thomas
Hilgers, ‘‘An Interview with Galway Kinnell,’’ inModern
Poetry Studies, Vol. 11, No. 1–2, 1982, pp. 107–12.
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Bloom, Harold, ‘‘Straight Forth Out of Self,’’ in theNew
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20th Century Year by Year, Barnes & Noble, 1998, p. 289.
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21st Century,’’ http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/State
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1969–1981,’’ inThe Century, Doubleday, 1998, pp. 424–63.
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in theChicago Tribune, June 8, 1980, p. E9.
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Wilson, Edward O.,The Future of Life, Vintage, 2003,
p. 102.Further Reading
Behn, Robin,The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises
from Poets Who Teach, Collins, 1992.
This book is ideal for anyone who wants to
learn to write poetry. It presents a series of
exercises designed to help would-be poets
begin writing and finding their poetic voices.
Bowling, Barbara L.,Berry Grower’s Companion, Timber
Press, 2005.
This book is a complete guide for growing all
kinds of berries in a home garden. The author
includes many interesting facts and details that
make the book an interesting read, even for
non-gardeners.
Copeland, Jeffery S.,Speaking of Poets: Interviews with
Poets Who Write for Children and Young Adults, National
Council of Teachers of English, 1993.
The relevant discussions pertain to the writ-
ing process and how poetry for children
and young adults is crafted. The poets
offer suggestions for how children can find
enjoyment in writing their own poetry. Kin-
nell is not included among the interviewed
poets.
Farrell, Kate,Art & Nature: An Illustrated Anthology of
Nature Poetry, Bulfinch, 1992.
This book is an anthology of 186 nature poems,
all of which have been matched with art in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The poems and
art are grouped by season.
Felstiner, John,Can Poetry Save the Earth? A Field Guide
to Nature Poems, Yale University Press, 2009.
Felstiner presents a selection of nature poems,
both past and contemporary ones, that illustrate
how much poets appreciate nature. The authorBlackberry Eating