“Zagajewski’s poems pull us from whatever routine threatens to dull our sense, from whatever might lull us into mere existence.”

— Philip Boehm, The New York Times Book Review

SPECIAL EVENT: Music and Poetry | Joint presentation of DACAMERA and Inprint
TRUE LIFE:  A CELEBRATION OF POET ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI

Sarah Rothenberg, piano; Sonia Wieder-Atherton, cello
Special guest: Edward Hirsch, poet
Music of Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich, Schubert and Mahler

DACAMERA and Inprint join forces in this heartfelt celebration of the life and work of Polish poet Adam Zagajewski (1945-2021), prize-winning writer of international renown.  Through his insightful and quietly radiant poems, Zagajewski acquired loyal readers around the world; and as a member of the UH Creative Writing Program faculty, journeying to Houston from Paris and later Krakow every spring for 18 years, he leaves a vibrant legacy of friends, students, and colleagues across the U.S.

Pianist Sarah Rothenberg and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton interweave the music that inspired many of Zagajewski’s poems with readings of his luminous poetry.  Readers will include celebrated poet and author Edward Hirsch, president of the Guggenheim Foundation; Rich Levy, executive director of Inprint; and community leader and friend, Lillie Robertson.  The publication in 2023 of Zagajewski’s last collection, True Life, offers us the occasion to discover new poems from this “indispensable” poet whose work celebrates “those rare moments when we catch a glimpse of the world from which all labels have been unpeeled…” (Charles Simic, The New York Review of Books).

“the most pertinent, impressive, meaningful poet of our time” — Mary Oliver

“wise and luminous” — Susan Sontag