- PROFESSIONALLY,
APART FROM MY CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDR,
I WOULD WANT TO HAVE MY POETRY READ
AND APPRECIATED ON PAPER
AS LONG AS THERE ARE WORDS ON PAPER.
IT WOULD MAKE ME VERY HAPPY ON MY DEATHB
TO BELIEVE THAT IN 1,000 YEARS,
SOMEONE WOULD ACTUALLY OPEN A BOOK
AND READ ONE OF MY POEMS.
[upbeat electronic music]
♪
- HIDDEN IN THE HILLS OF THE UNIVERSITYF KAASAMS
IS A TREASURE THAT HAS GONE MOSTLY UNREGNED
BY THE PEOPLE OF ARKANSAS.
HIS NAME IS MILLER WILLIAMS,
AND HE HAS WRITTEN, EDITED, OR TRANSLAD
MORE THAN 30 VOLUMES OF POETRY,
LITERARY CRITICISM, AND FICTION.
HE BECAME A PROFESSOR OF SCIENCE,
THEN QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY, A PROFESSOR OF LITERUR
HE IS A MAN WHO PARTICIPATED IN SIT-INS
DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
AND WAS THE INAUGURAL POET FOR BILL CLIONN 97
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, MILLER WILLIAMS IS A M
WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CANON OF CONTEMPORARPORY
HIS POETRY IS A FUSION OF SCIENCE AND PLOPH
THAT IS EXPRESSED IN A PLAINSPOKEN STY
THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL READERS.
HE WAS DESCRIBED ONCE AS THE HANK WILLIA
OF AMERICAN POETRY, BECAUSE WHILE HIS POETRY
IS TAUGHT AT PRINCETON AND HARVARD,
IT'S READ AND UNDERSTOOD
BY SQUIRREL HUNTERS AND TAXI DRIVERS.
MILLER WILLIAMS IS A MAN OF DISTINCTION
WITH A UNIQUE TALENT AND A UNIQUE LIFE;
ONE THAT IS ROOTED RIGHT HERE IN ARKANSA
- MY PARENTS WERE BOTH BORN IN 1894 INOREA AANS.
THEY BOTH GREW UP ON FARMS;
THEY EACH HAD A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION LY
WHICH OF COURSE, AS I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS,
IS THE EQUIVALENT AT LEAST OF A COLLEGE ECAONOD.
THEY WERE ALSO EXTREMELY AND CONSISTENTLY LIBAL
THEY WERE FEMINISTS,
BELIEVED IN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE,
WERE IN ALMOST EVERY INSTANCE PACIFISTS
AND INTEGRATIONISTS.
MY FATHER WAS A UNION ORGANIZER.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS
OF THE SOUTHERN TENANT FARMERS' UNION
- SOUTHERN TENANT FARMERS' UNION,
ONE OF THE GREAT SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
DURING THE DEPRESSION ERA.
- YES, IT WAS A UNION OF SHARECROPPERS
WHO WERE ALMOST WHITE SLAVES.
THEY NOT ONLY EARNED THEIR RIGHTS
THROUGH THIS UNIONIZATION,
BUT IT WAS AMERICA'S FIRST INTEGRATED UON
AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MEDAL
ON THE LAPEL OF MY FATHER IN MY HEART.
- MILLER WILLIAMS WAS BORN ON APRIL 8, 19,
IN HOXIE, ARKANSAS;
THE EIGHTH OF 11 CHILDREN BORN,
BUT ONE OF ONLY SIX TO SURVIVE PAST CHILOO
HIS FATHER, ERNEST, WAS A METHODIST MINIER
AND HIS MOTHER, ANN JEANETTE, CARED FOR THE ILEN
AS A MINISTER'S SON, WILLIAMS' RLLI W AOMICNE
HE LIVED IN FIVE ARKANSAS TOWNS AS HE GREW U
AS A BOY, WILLIAMS WAS A MEMBER OF THE LIFE OU,
STUDIED THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE ESPAN
WITH HIS FATHER, AND WROTE POETRY
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF HIS MOTHER.
GROWING UP IN A LIBERAL HOUSEHOLD,
WILLIAMS WAS AN OPEN-MINDED YOUTH
WHO OFTEN TESTED HIS IDEOLOGY.
IN THE MID '40s, WHILE LIVING IN FORT STH
WILLIAMS WENT TO A BASKETBALL GAME
WITH AN INTEGRATED YOUTH GROUP.
HE WAS ONLY 16 YEARS OLD,
BUT HE WASN'T AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR HIS NVTIS.
- WE SAT ON THE WHITE SIDE,
BUT THERE WERE A CIRCLE OF EMPTY SEATS AROU U OCOSE
BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING HOSTILE
EXCEPT TO SAY AND SHOUT A FEW WORDS.
AS WE LEFT, ONE OF THE WHITE STUDENTS,
WHOM I HAD KNOWN, RAN UP BEHIND US
AND WHIRLED ME AROUND--
I WAS 16--
AND HIT ME IN THE MOUTH WITH HIS FIST
AND KNOCKED OUT MY UPPER FRONT TEETH.
I WOKE UP WITH MY HEAD ON THE LAP
OF MY SWEETHEART WHO WAS WITH US.
HER SKIRT WAS ALL BLOODY.
THEY HELPED ME HOME
AND TOLD MY FATHER WHAT HAPPENED,
MY PARENTS WHAT HAPPENED,
AND HE WANTED TO GIVE ME THE PURPLE HET.
- THAT STORY MIGHT SAY MORE ABOUT WILLIAMS'ARTS
THAN HIM, BUT IT ALSO SAYS A LOT
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH HE GREWP.
WHETHER STANDING UP TO BULLIES OR WRITI AONT,
WILLIAMS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM EXPRESSINGIMLF
IN 1947, WILLIAMS WAS 17 YEARS OLD
AND ENTERED HENDRIX COLLEGE TO PURSUE HIPAIO
FOR LITERATURE AND WRITING,
BUT HIS ACADEMIC LIFE WOULD TAKE AN UNEXPECTETU
NOT LONG AFTER HE ARRIVED.
- I ENTERED HENDRIX AND DECLARED A DOUBLE MAJ
IN ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES.
AND AT THE END OF MY FIRST SEMESTER,
THE HEAD OF THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT CALLED I
AND SAID TO ME, "MR. WILLIAMS,
"THE APTITUDE TEST YOU TOOK WHEN YOU ENTEREDENIX
"INDICATES THAT YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO VERBALPTUD
"AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS YO PEN,
"YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR MAJOR
"TO THE HARD SCIENCES IMMEDIATELY,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOUR APTITUDLI."
I WAS TAUGHT TO TRUST THOSE IN CHARGE
AND TO OBEY MY SUPERIORS.
SO I CHANGED MY MAJOR
AT THE END OF THAT SEMESTER TO BIOLOGY.
- WHILE WILLIAMS MAINTAINED HIS INTEREST
IN LITERATURE AND WRITING,
HIS ACADEMIC CAREER FOLLOWED THE SCIENCE
HE RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE BLO
AND A MASTERS DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY.
WHILE ENROLLED IN A GRADUATE PROGRAM
AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY,
HE MET HIS FIRST WIFE, LUCILLE DAY,
WHO WAS STUDYING TO BE A CONCERT PIANIST.
AND BY 1951, HE WAS MARRIED AND STARTING A FILOFISWN
OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT DECADE,
WILLIAMS TAUGHT SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY
AT UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE SOUTH,
WELCOMED HIS THREE CHILDREN, LUCINDA, RER A KYN
INTO THE WORLD,
AND CONTINUED WRITING POETRY,
PUBLISHING HIS FIRST COLLECTION IN 1952.
BY THE END OF THE '50s,
WILLIAMS WAS LIVING AND TEACHING IN MACON, ORA,
AND PURSUING HIS PHD IN PHYSIOLOGY.
- I WAS TEACHING AT WESLEYAN COLLEGE IN MONGEGI
IT'S, AS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, A METHISSCOL
AND FLANNERY O'CONNOR LIVED JUST A FEW LEAW OA RM
ONE OF OUR GREAT SHORT STORY WRITERS.
SHE GAVE A TALK AND READING AT WESLEYAN,
AFTER WHICH I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO HER,
AND WE BEGAN TO CHAT.
BECAME GOOD FRIENDS AFTER AWHILE.
AND EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKENDS,
I WOULD DRIVE OVER TO HER HOME
AND TAKE LUCINDA, MY DAUGHTER,
WHO WAS ABOUT FIVE, WITH ME.
AND FLANNERY WOULD LET LUCINDA CHASE HEPEOC
WHICH SHE KEPT ON THE FARM.
AND FLANNERY AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT HER STORS D PTR
I SAID, "FLANNERY, YOU CALL THEM SHORT ORS,
BUT TO ME, THEY'RE LIKE LONG POEMS."
AND SHE SAID, "YOU CALL THEM POEMS,
BUT I THINK THEY'RE LIKE SHORT STIE"
AND SHE ASKED ME WHY I WAS TEACHING BIOLOGY
WHEN I HAD READ EVERYTHING THERE WAS TOEA
IN ENGLISH LITERATURE
AND PUBLISHED MORE POEMS AND STORIES
THAN I PUBLISHED ANYTHING IN BIOLOGY.
I TOLD HER THE STORY OF WHY I CHANGED MY JO
AND SHE SAID, "WELL, YOU OUGHT TO BE TEACHINGNGSH
LSU ADVERTISED FOR SOMEONE
TO TEACH LITERATURE IN THE GRADUATE PROGRA
AND SOME UNDERGRADUATE COURSES.
FLANNERY WROTE THEM AND SAID,
STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM,
"THE PERSON YOU WANT IS A PROFESSOR OF BIOG
AT WESLEYAN COLLEGE AT MACON, GEORGIA, MLEWIIA."
THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT,
BUT THEY COULDN'T IGNORE FLANNERY O'NN.
SO THEY WROTE ME AND SAID, "SEND US SOMHI."
I SENT THEM SOME POEMS AND A COUPLE OF STORS.
AND--
- HAD YOU NOT ALREADY PUBLISHED A BOOK OF POEM
BY THAT TIME, I THINK?
- YES.
AND THEY CALLED ME AND SAID, "WHEN CAN YOU T RE
- THE 1960s SAW A MAJOR CHANGE
IN THE DIRECTION OF MILLER WILLIAMS' CARR.
BASED SOLELY ON THE MERITS OF HIS WRITI
AND WITHOUT A DEGREE IN THE SUBJECT,
WILLIAMS BECAME A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISHITATE
AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
FOUR YEARS LATER HE JOINED THE FACULTY
OF LOYOLA UNIVERSITY IN NEW ORLEANS,
WHERE HE FOUNDED AND EDITED THE NEW ORANREEW
A JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE AND CTU.
WILLIAMS' PROFESSIONAL LIFE WAS FILLINYN
WITH HIS PASSION FOR POETRY,
BUT THERE WERE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN HIS PERSOL FE
HIS MARRIAGE TO LUCY ENDED, AND BY THENDF E CA,
HE HAD MARRIED HIS SECOND WIFE, JORDAN HAL
THEN IN 1970, A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WOULD UNFO
THAT WOULD FINALLY LEAD WILLIAMS BACK TO ARKAAS
- JIM WHITEHEAD WROTE THE REVIEW
OF A BOOK OF POEMS BY SYLVIA PLATH.
ONE OF THE POEMS WHICH HE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH
WAS CALLED ODE TO MY UTERUS,
AND THE PRIESTS COULDN'T DEAL WITH THAT.
- SO IT WAS AFTER THAT
THAT YOU WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FETVIE.
- WELL, A YEAR. - A YEAR AFTER THAT.
- BECAUSE I WENT HOME THAT DAY AND SAID TJOAN
"I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU."
BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A JOB ANYMOR
IT WAS THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SHE SAID, "WELL, I'M ON THE PHONE
GO AHEAD AND READ THE MAIL, AND THEN WCATA."
SO I WENT TO OPEN THE MAIL.
THE FIRST LETTER WAS FROM THE FULBRIGHT CMIIO
IT SAID, "DEAR PROFESSOR WILLIAMS,
"THE PERSON WHO HAD ACCEPTED OUR FULBRIT OFSOHI
"AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEXICO HAS DIED.
"AND WE NEED SOMEONE WHO IS A PROFESSORF GLH
AND SPEAKS SPANISH"--
AS I DID--
"AND IS FREE NEXT YEAR,"
WHICH I WAS.
I SPOKE SPANISH BECAUSE I HAD LIVED IN CHILE FOR YR.
I WON THE AMY LOWELL TRAVELING SCHOLARSHIINOEY 14.
SO I PUT THE LETTER DOWN AND WALKED BACK TO JDA
WHO WAS HANGING UP THE PHONE.
AND SHE SAID, "WHAT IS IT YOU WANTED TO LLE?
[laughs]
AND I TOLD HER, "WE'RE GOING TO MEXICTOIVNE YR.
AS WE FINISHED OUR YEAR IN MEXICO,
I WAS CONTACTED BY JIM WHITEHEAD,
WHOM I HAD TAUGHT WHEN HE WAS AN UNDERGRUA
AT MILLSAPS COLLEGE IN JACKSON.
HE CALLED ME AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD CE REO AC
WHEN I WAS THROUGH IN MEXICO.
I WAS PLEASED BY THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'HA AWHE G
AND WE GOT HERE ON NEW YEAR'S DAY IN '.
GEN WHITEHEAD, NOW GEN BROYLES AFTER JIM DI,
FOUND US THIS HOUSE THAT WE'RE IN W RT
WHILE WE LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND WE LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT WE BOUGHT IT.
WE'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.
- FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS,
WIIA W AIXRE T FETVIE MP.
AS A PROFESSOR IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT,
WILLIAMS PARTICIPATED IN THE GROWTH
OF A CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM,
WHICH WOULD BECOME RECOGNIZED
AS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
HE CO-FOUNDED THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS ES
WHICH PROVIDED AN OUTLET FOR ARKANSAS WRITE
TO PUBLISH AND DISTRIBUTE THEIR WORK.
HE FOUNDED THE UNIVERSITY'S MASTERF NERTPRRA
IN LITERARY TRANSLATION,
CO-FOUNDED THE COMPARATIVE LITERATURE PROAM
AND TAUGHT AND MENTORED EMERGING POETS
SUCH AS CHELSEA RATHBURN,
LEON STOKESBURY,
AND R.S. GWYNN.
TO HIS COLLEAGUES, WILLIAMS WAS A MAN OF CSCNC
HE WAS DEEPLY HUMANISTIC
AND BELIEVED THAT EVERYONE WAS WORTH LISTENG .
BUT BENEATH IT ALL, WILLIAMS WAS A POET
AND HAD BEEN FOR AS LONG AS HE COULD REMEMB.
- I LEARNED TO READ POETRY
ALMOST AS EARLY AS I LEARNED TO READ,
AND I WAS TRYING TO WRITE IT
ALMOST AS SOON AS I LEARNED TO WRITE.
WHEN I WAS A BOY SCOUT, I BEGAN TO WRITE POETRY
ABOUT BEING A BOY SCOUT
AND NEVER HAD ANY QUESTION IN MY MIND
ABOUT WHERE I WANTED MY LIFE TO TAKE ME
I DID NOT EVEN SLOW DOWN
WHEN I CHANGED MY MAJOR
FROM ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES TO BIOLO.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM,
I WAS THE SAME PERSON DOING THE SAME TNG
- IN 1997, MILLER WILLIAMS BOARDED A PLANE
AND TOUCHED DOWN IN WASHINGTON D.C.
HE HAD BEEN INVITED BY AN OLD FRIEND ANDORR LLGU
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS TO READ A POEM
THE OLD FRIEND WAS BILL CLINTON
AND THE OCCASION WAS HIS SECOND INAUGURATIONS ESEN
ONLY TWO INAUGURAL POETS HAD PRECEDED HIM,
MAYA ANGELOU IN 1993 AT CLINTON'S FIT AURA
AND ROBERT FROST, WHO WAS THE FIRST
AT JOHN F. KENNEDY'S INAUGURATIONN 61
- I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM A WOMAN,
A REPORTER FOR SOME PAPER,
WHO SAID SHE WANTED TO TALK TO ME BECAUSE-
I SAID, "WHAT ABOUT?"
SHE SAID, "BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO READ E AURAPO
AT BILL CLINTON'S INAUGURATION."
I SAID, "I'M SORRY, YOU'VE CALLED THWRG RS."
I HAD NO IDEA.
SO SHE HUNG UP,
A BIT IRRITATED, UNDERSTANDABLY.
AND JUST A DAY LATER,
I WAS CALLED BY BILL CLINTON,
WHO ASKED ME IF I WOULD READ THE INAUGURAPO.
HE HAD TOLD SOMEONE, OBVIOUSLY,
THAT HE WAS GOING TO CALL ME,
AND THE WORD GOT TO THIS REPORTER WHO CALLED ME
AND SO THEN IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY
TO WRITE THE POEM.
AND IT WAS WELL-RECEIVED, I THINK.
- IT WAS A COLD DAY, THAT DAY WHEN YOU DELIVEDT, TNK
- YES, IT WAS.
- BREATH FROSTING.
IT ALWAYS IS ON INAUGURAL DAY IN WASHINGTON, TNK
- I WAS ON THE STAFF OF THE BREAD LOAFRIRSONREE
IN VERMONT WITH ROBERT FROST IN THE 's.
AND HE WAS AN INAUGURAL POET THEN,
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER.
- HE DID THE INAUGURAL POEM AT JOHN F. KENNE'S AURAON
- EXACTLY.
- THE FAMOUS ONE WHERE THE WIND BLOWS HISOEAW.
- AND HE SAID TO ME, "MILLER,
IF YOU'RE EVER ASKED TO BE THE INGUL ET
BE SURE AND PASTE IT DOWN."
AND I TOOK THAT SIMPLY AS A FRIVOLOUS MOMT
BECAUSE I KNEW THAT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE
WHO WAS GOING TO BE AN INAUGURAL POET.
BUT WHEN I WAS THE INAUGURAL POET,
I HELD ONTO IT VERY TIGHTLY
AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT AS I READ IT.
- 'CAUSE I THINK IT WAS A WINDY DAY ENASEL WN'IT
- YES, IT WAS.
- IT'S ALYSIN PBAY TT ATRM
- BUT HE RESPONDED TO HIS SITUATION
IN A WAY I COULD NOT HAVE.
HE RECITED AN APPROPRIATE POEM OF HIS OWN
THAT HE KNEW FROM MEMORY.
[laughs] I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT.
OF HISTORY AND HOPE.
"WE HAVE MEMORIZED AMERICA,
"HOW IT WAS BORN AND WHO WE HAVE BEEN
"AND WHERE.
"IN CEREMONIES AND SILENCE,
"WE SAY THE WORDS, TELLING THE STORIES,
SINGING THE OLD SONGS."
- IN 1957,
JUST FIVE YEARS AFTER SELF PUBLISHING H FSTOO
OF POETRY, WILLIAMS WON THE HENRY BELLMAN AWAR
IN 1961, HE WON THE BREAD LOAF WRITERS COERCEELWSP,
FOLLOWED IN 1963
BY THE AMY LOWELL TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP IPORY
IN ALL, WILLIAMS HAS COLLECTED MORE THAN ARD
FOR A WRITING CAREER THAT SPANS MORE TH 5YES.
IN SPITE OF THE RECOGNITION,
THE REAL JOY FOR WILLIAMS IS IN THE POEMS;
WRITTEN ON THE PAGE OR READ ALOUD.
- THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST ANTHOLOGIZED EM
AND ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED AT MY READINGS
IT BEGINS AS SIMPLY A STORY
OF AN OCCURRENCE WHEN LUCINDA WAS FIVE.
THE CATERPILLAR.
"TODAY ON THE LIP OF A BOWL IN THE BACKYARD,
"WE WATCHED A CATERPILLAR CAUGHT IN THE CIRE
"OF HIS LARVAL ASSUMPTIONS.
"MY DAUGHTER COUNTED HALF A DOZEN TIMEHEENARND
"BEFORE ROLLING BACK AND LAUGHING,
"I'M A CATERPILLAR. LOOK.
"SHE LEFT HIM MEASURING OUT HIS SLOW, GREEN WA
"TO SOME PLACE THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A PICREF SI H.
"AFTER SUPPER, COMING FROM PUTTING THE CARP,
"WE STOPPED TO LOOK,
"FIGURED HE'D CROSSED THE YARD ONCE EVERHO
"AND LEFT HIM WHEN WE WENT TO BED
"WRINKLING NO CLOSER TO MY LANDLORD'S LEES
"THAN WHEN HE SOMEHOW FELL TO HIS PRIVA CCL
"LATER I FOLLOWED BARE FEET AND DOOR CLIS MDAHT
"TO THE YARD,
"THE BOWL A MILK WHITE MOONLIGHT EYE
"IN THE BLACK GRASS.
"IT DIED.
"I SAID 'HONEY, THEY DON'T LIVE VY NG
"IN BED AGAIN, RE-COVERED AND RE-KISSED,
"SHE LOCKED HER ARMS AND MUMBLING LOVE TOIN
"UNTIL TURNING SHE SLIPPED
"INTO THE DEEP BONE-BOTTOMED DISH OF SLP.
"STUMBLING DRUNK AROUND THE RIM,
"I HOLD THE WORDS SHE SAID TO ME ACROSS T DK.
'I THINK HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING IN ATRGHLI.'
NOW, WHEN I REMEMBER ROBERT FROST SAYIN
THAT A POEM HAS TO BEGIN AS THE POET'
AND END AS THE READER'S,
I REALIZED THAT THAT POEM IN THE BEGINNING
IS ABOUT NO ONE BUT LUCINDA AND ME.
BUT EVERYONE WHO READS IT OR HEARS IT-
"I THINK HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING IN A STRAIT NE-
WOULD KNOW WHO THAT POEM IS ABOUT.
WE HAVE ALL THOUGHT WE WERE GOING IN A STIG LE.
- WHAT DOES THIS CAMPUS MEAN TO YOU
WHEN YOU WALK AROUND THIS CAMPUS?
- IT BRINGS TO MIND
MORE THAN I CAN EXPRESS, OF COURSE.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IMPORTANT IN MLI N
I MET ON THIS CAMPUS.
AND MUCH OF WHAT I AM WAS SHAPED
BY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME ON THIS CAMPUS.
- DID YOU EVER TEACH IN OLD MAIN,
WHICH IS BEHIND US IN THIS BUILDING?
- OH, YES. - YOU TAUGHT SOME CLASSES THERE?
- I TAUGHT IN OLD MAIN UNTIL KIMPEL WAS BUILT
BUT OLD MAIN IS STILL TO ME
THE HEART OF THE CAMPUS
AND THE CORE OF MUCH OF MY MEMORY
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS.
IT IS A SYMBOL OF ALL THAT IT MEANS TOE.
- WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY FOR YOU NOW?
- I STAY BUSY.
I'M WRITING ARTICLES AND ALWAYS WORKINONOMBOS.
BUT MOSTLY I'M WORKING ON MY MEMOS.
- YOU DO THAT CHRONOLOGICALLY,
OR YOU JUST COME UP WITH MEMORIES AS THEY COME DO A--
- NO, I'M WRITING IT FROM THE BEGINNI
TOWARD THE END.
I DON'T KN OCOSE ENHENDS INTOE.
AND I HAVE WRITTEN AS IF IT WERE AN INTIMATDIY
UP UNTIL ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF 2002.
AND I AM NOW HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY MOVING RWD
BECAUSE I'VE HAD FIVE SO-CALLED MINOR ROS
AND A GRAND MAL SEIZURE.
AND I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY REMEMBERING
THE DETAILS OF MY LIFE SINCE THE MIDDLEF 02
BUT I'M SORTING THEM OUT, DIGGING TH O,
AND FINDING THEM OUT.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO
I HAVE DOWN PRETTY WELL.
BUT DURING THAT PERIOD OF ABOUT SIX OR SEN AR
IT'S AS IF AN ERASER HAD RUN ACRO T BCKAR
AND I'M HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY WITHHA
BUT EVEN THAT IS A STORY TO TELL IN MY MEMOIR
- MILLER, I WONDER WHAT THE MAJOR INFLUENS
IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR POETRY.
- I AM ETHICALLY AND IN PERSONALITY
THE ONE THAT I AM BECAUSE OF MY PARENTS,
ERNEST AND ANGIE WILLIAMS.
I AM THE POET I AM PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THEOEJO CRD
AND TO SOME DEGREE HOWARD NEMEROV,
ROBERT FROST,
ELIZABETH BISHOP.
I AM THE MILLER WILLIAMS THAT I AM NOW
IN GREAT PART BECAUSE OF MY WIFE JORDA
THOSE ARE THE MAJOR INFLUENCES IN MY LI.