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THE Graduation Speech Worth a Listen
I’ve attended, was supposed to attend, or presided over over 50 graduations. Apart from my own thrilling soliloquies, one graduation speech was more boring than the next. OK, too harsh. Better to say, one seemed longer than the next. So, listening to another such speech is, to quote another generation, cringeworthy.
But then, being graduation month, my laptop stumbled on a speech by a fellow named Pinsky, a fellow I know, indeed, someone I like, in fact a BU colleague with whom I’m fast friends. Robert and I have been at Boston University for decades. And during almost all those years, I desperately wanted to meet THE Robert Pinsky. But I was too scared. After all, I was an illiterate geek who never had time to read the great books or waste time on “The Waste Land.”
Then, thanks to a University gathering, I found myself face to face with THE Robert Pinsky. But my trepidation instantly dissolved as we realized we were both from Jersey and both loved the pinnacle of Jewish cuisine — Chinese dumplings. We’ve been lunching together over those tasty devils ever since.
But I digress. The link to yet another dreaded graduation speech demanded attention. Of course I clicked. This was my friend Robert, three-time US Poet Laureate, a gift from the gods when it comes to the written and spoken word, and someone you could trust to order if you got stuck in traffic. If ever there was a THE who knows he and we are simple thes endowed, each day, with the Sisyphean privilege of striving for THE, even when choosing between steamed and fried, it’s Robert.
I listened to Robert’s commencement address. Then I listened again and again and again and realized I was obliged to share it with you. Next I called Robert.
“I just listened to your amazing commencement speech.”
“What speech? I haven’t given any. Oh, maybe you mean the one from 2012 at the Concord Academy. Yes, I like that speech too. It extols the difficult.”
Note the third person. Not “my” speech, but “that” speech, which he struggled mightily to help his ancestors deliver. Robert faces, each day, his gifted difficulty — a compulsive need to place one word after another, not on the probability that they match, but on the chance that they connect—to our ears, minds, and hearts.
Watch/listen to Robert’s commencement address. And when next you’re asked to attend a commencement speech, say, “I’ve listened to Pinsky’s. That was difficult enough.”
Your next truly tough task is to buy Princeton University’s just-released volumes of Pinsky’s poetry and prose. And to incentivize your doing so, here’s a gift without purchase. While you’re at it, do yourself another solid. Purchase Ellen Pinsky’s, Robert’s wife, and Michael Slevin’s incredible book, Driven to Write.
The book collects essays from 45 THE writers who struggled with every word, sentence, and paragraph to tell you why they are compelled to do the terrifying— write in the desperate hope that someone will notice. Buy the book if only for Ellen and Michael’s introduction. One sentence in and you’ll be driven to read them all.
Pinsky Economics Matters Podcasts
It’s amazing what you can leverage with six words. “You eat the rest. I’m stuffed.”
Robert agreed to be an early guest on Economics Matters — the Podcast. Since 150K of you have subscribed in the meantime, please enjoy this podcast with Robert entitled:
Talking Poetry, Life, NJ, and Even Economics with Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky!
When you’re done, check out Robert’s second appearance on Economics Matters.
Robert Pinsky talks About Words, Language, Money, Poetry, Antisemitism, and Friendship
Joseph, Way to go! best and thanks, Larry
Lunching on dumplings with Pinsky sounds like the absolute dream.