My Evening With A Nobel Laureate

I received a treasured invitation from one of my fellow directors who sits on our board of directors. We are invited to a lecture given by Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature, here in Nassau. I have never been in the presence of a Nobel Laureate.

This is particularly eventful for the Lovely One, because there is a dearth of culture and cultural events here in the Bahamas.

The Nobel Laureate is Derek Walcott, a poet from St. Lucia. Here is an excerpt from his biography from Wikipedia:

Derek Alton Walcott (born January 23, 1930) is a Caribbean poet, playwright, writer and visual artist. Born in Castries, St. Lucia, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992.

His work, which developed independently of the schools of magic realism emerging in both South America and Europe at around the time of his birth, is intensely related to the symbolism of myth and its relationship to culture. He is best known for his epic poem Omeros, a reworking of Homeric story and tradition into a journey around the Caribbean and beyond to the American West and London.

Walcott founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1959, which has produced his plays (and others) since that time, and remains active with its Board of Directors. He also founded Boston Playwrights' Theatre at Boston University in 1981 with the hope of creating a home for new plays in Boston, Massachusetts. Walcott retired from teaching poetry and drama in the Creative Writing Department at Boston University in 2007. In fall 2009, he will commence a three year distinguished scholar in residence position at University of Alberta. He continues to give readings and lectures throughout the world. He divides his time between his home in the Caribbean and New York City.