David Hassler - Leaping thought, authoring a life, and a spirit of passionate inquiry

Poetry comes up so often in my conversations these days. Our society in crisis seems to be desperate for it, without being able to name that desperation until a poem calls it out of us. For years, award-winning Poet David Hassler has been defining and redefining how poetry enters and moves people and communities.

David creates and brings to the world poetry as the Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University and has for more than 20 years been facilitating poetry discussion groups and leading writing workshops in communities throughout Ohio. He is an innovator of how we gather and connect using the power of poetry.

David is the author of two books of poems and co-editor of numerous volumes, notably including Speak a Powerful Magic: Ten Years of the Traveling Stanzas Poetry Project and Dear Vaccine. He has a list of awards and recognitions too long to share hear, but that include Ohio Poet of the Year in 2006.

He received a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.F.A. from Bowling Green State University.

David's ability to use poetry to create and strengthen community is a salve and a guide to our society navigating how we can connect and make sense of what it means to be human. We are fortunate to have David join us for a wise and winsome walk through his life and work.