File 029592

Letter from Harvard English Professor Elisa New Inviting Guest for Poetry in America Series (File 029592)

Letter from Harvard University English professor Elisa New inviting a recipient to appear as a featured guest on the public television series Poetry in America, discussing a poem by Sharon Olds.

Summary

Professor Elisa New of Harvard University writes to invite the recipient to be a featured guest on Poetry in America, her public television series that has featured prominent figures including Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, and other notable individuals. The invitation proposes discussing and interpreting Sharon Olds' Pulitzer Prize-winning poem 'The Language of the Brag.' New indicates the content would be used in an upcoming season of the series and in an online course being developed with Harvard Medical School.

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
Barker Center - 12 Quincy Street - Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
ELISA NEW
Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature
November 25, 2018
Dear Ms. Williams:
Tel:
Fax:
I am writing now to invite you to be a featured guest on my public television
series, Poetry in America (poetryinamerica.org). Poetry in America's first
season's guests included Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Cynthia Nixon, Shaquille
O'Neal, Yo Yo Ma, Samantha Power, Herbie Hancock, John McCain, Nas,
Angela Duckworth, Bono, Regina Spektor, Frank Gehry, Stuart Weitzman, E.O.
Wilson and many others. In Seasons Two and Three we will have just as
distinguished a line up. The series airs on public television stations
everywhere, streams via Amazon Prime and other streaming services, and it is
now also airing on a variety of domestic and international airlines.
The poem I'd like to read and interpret with you is by Pulitzer Prize winner,
Sharon Olds, and it's called "The Language of the Brag." It's a gutsy poem that
compares feats of (male) athletic prowess-- and feats of poetic prowess-- to
childbirth. You are the ideal reader for this poem: indeed, I picked it for the
season in hopes you would be my co-interpreter. If you agree to film with me,
I'll use what we capture in an upcoming season of Poetry in America. I'll also
use the content in an online course for medical professionals I am creating in
partnership with Harvard Medical School.
I thank you for considering this request. I would be very honored to work
with you.
Sincerely,
Elisa New
HOUSE OVERSIGHT 029592