Scottish poet Don Paterson gave a public reading at the Robert W. Woodruff Library on April 11, closing out the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library Reading Series 2011-2012 season on a high note.
Paterson's reading was candid, ranging from humorous to mournful, and offered a glimpse into his personal life. The poem "House" is a reaction to his own mild obsession ("I watch too much TV") with the TV drama of the same name, noting that viewing British actor Hugh Laurie as "any kind of sex god" is strange. In the poem "Mercies," Paterson imagined his dog's unconditional love as radio transmissions, invisible yet palpable, slowly fading away with the dog's death. Paterson shared that his children's questions often act as inspiration. "Why Do You Stay Up So Late?" is an attempt to explain to his son his process of writing poetry late into the night, wherein he collects "the dull things of the day in which I see possibility."
