I am honored to have Dana Gioia, the Chairman of The National Endowment of the Arts, on my show this week.
Business Week referred to Mr. Gioia as "the man who saved the NEA".
I first met Mr. Gioia in December 2006. I visited him at his office on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washingont DC.
He was kind enough to offer me his ideas on my website and ways I could better promote poetry in the United States and around the world.
I visited him again in January of this year. While sitting in his office he handed me a recording of a program he participated in that celebrated the 100th birthday of the great poet W H Auden.
I am delighted to offer it to you as this week's show. During the recording Mr. Gioia discusses Auden's work and several of his poems are read aloud.
It's delightful. I hope you enjoy it and I would like to thank Dana for all he has done for the arts in our country, and for the personal time he has so freely given me.