William S. Merwin has become one of the most widely read and honored poets of our time. In an illustrious career spanning six decades (and counting), Merwin has received many honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1971, 2009); the Tanning Prize, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of American Poets; and the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings. In 2010, he was appointed United States Poet Laureate.
Merwin is also a translator, gardener and environmental activist. For nearly 30 years, he has lived on Maui in a home he designed and help build. Surrounded by acres that erosion, logging and toxic agricultural practices had depleted, he lovingly restored the land, transforming it into one of the most comprehensive palm forests in the world—a future sanctuary called The Merwin Conservancy.
Recorded at TEDxMaui 2012, held on January 22, 2012 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.