Poet to perform reading of work

Photo courtesy of Donald Platt LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY CLOUDS: Donald Platt, an associate professor, will be presenting a reading of his book of poetry, "Cloud Atlas," at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Hicks Undergraduate Library.

By Nicole Arias
Staff Writer

Donald Platt believes writing is an attempt to capture images in life.

This belief developed after Platt, a Purdue associate professor who has two published books of poetry, came across the "International Cloud Atlas" in a library.

"There is a paradox in the title; clouds are things in total flux," said Platt, who was inspired to name his second book of poetry "Cloud Atlas." "Our lives are cloud-like, always in flux and always changing."

Platt will read poems from his latest work, "Cloud Atlas," at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Hicks Undergraduate Library.

Platt said this poetry reading, which will be his first public reading at Purdue, is a way for him to celebrate the publication of "Cloud Atlas."

Both of Platt's books of poetry, whose themes have concentrated on family, took about seven years to complete.

"Some poems take years," he said.

After an initial burst of a few lines, Platt said, he waits until he gets a sense of how to complete the poem.

This writing technique hasn't changed since he began seriously writing when he was 22 years old. But at that time, Platt kept his writings in a shoebox because his focus had been on training to become a chef.

When Platt was 23 years old he took a year off and worked at his writing full time. After which, he continued to pursue a writing career and enrolled at Hampshire College.

Since then, Platt has won numerous awards, including the Verna Emory Poetry Prize in 1993 and in 2001, which is offered through Purdue, and the Chapbook Prize in 2000, which is offered by the Center for Book Arts.

Teal Schueter, who took a poetry writing course taught by Platt last year, said she was inspired when he presented a few of his published poems for class discussions.

"He is enthusiastic and he teaches with gusto, but he is a modest poet," said Schueter, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts. "(Reading his work) helped us to see him more as a person and respect him as a poet."

Marianne Boruch, an English professor at Purdue, described Platt's poetry as "smart and good-hearted."

"He has a very expansive vision," she said. "He takes ordinary things and makes them mysterious and meaningful in new ways."

English professor Patricia Henley said, "He makes me see the larger world in the particular."

Henley said she is looking forward to the poetry reading because hearing a poem in the poet's voice adds to her understanding of the work.

In addition to increasing understanding, hearing a poet read his work can also increase a listener's appreciation for a poem.

"He puts a lot of sustenance into his reading," Schueter said. "It adds so much to the poetry."

 

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