Hugo House's video: Word Works: Ada Lim n on Poetry As Elegy

Why has the elegy long been an obsession of poets? And why does poetry as an art form seem uniquely suited to confront grief and vanishing? Acclaimed poet Ada Limón explores these questions in this craft talk for Hugo House's Word Works: Writers on Writing series. Former Washington state poet laureate Elizabeth Austen moderates an onstage Q&A following the talk. For those who sit and stare in wonder at a sentence, a turn of phrase, or a particularly great execution of a literary device, marveling at how they could come about, Word Works talks show writers at their most revealing, with live close-readings demonstrating different facets of writing. These talks by novelists, essayists, poets, and memoirists draw back the curtain on the process of writing. Each talk by a guest writer focuses on a specific element—such as dialogue, metaphor, voice, or structure—that should be in every writer’s toolbox. The talks are followed by an interview with a noted editor, writer, or critic