There has never been a time when the poet’s voice was more necessary, to offer wisdom, whimsy, and balm for our sorrows, especially if such a voice belongs to the celebrated Irish-born poet PAUL MULDOON. Described as “the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War” and “one of the great poets of the past hundred years,” he has won myriad awards, among them the Pulitzer Prize. With his magical range and musical ear, Muldoon has written about hedgehogs and cauliflowers, about birth and death, and he will inaugurate our festival with a reading of some of his most beloved poems, including selections from his upcoming collection, Joy in Service on Rue Tagore. Welcome to the poetic launch of SVWC 2024.