The beginning

I first encountered the work of William Stafford in a meaningful way in the spring of 2005. As I stood and read "A Ritual to Read to Each Other" in the Manchester College library, I found myself, in the words of Robert Frost, "immortally wounded" by the poem. I wanted to re-enter the lines and settle in. I felt a tug on my spirit to try and figure this wondrous writer out. That semester I wrote a major paper critiquing Stafford in the context of Anabaptist literary writers, and found that, unlike many past subjects of academic inquiry, I never once tired of encountering this poet. I still have not grown weary of Stafford, but am rather driven to encounter his world all the more deeply. This weblog will chronicle my journey with William Stafford. I invite you to join in, share and grow along with me.