Oxford Day 4

The high point for me today was the evening program, "An Evening of Piano, Poetry, and Song." Dana Gioia, the chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, read some of his poems. I'm a big fan of his and got to meet him and his wife afterword. The soloist and the pianist were excellent as well.

After the program was over, some of us went to the pub at Kebler where Dana recited some more poetry--all from memory. The amount of poetry--not only his own but that of many other poets--that he has memorized is phenomenal. Darryl Tippens, the provost of Pepperdine University who I mentioned in an earlier blog, told me that at a class where Dana came as a guest lecturer he recited Dante from memory in Italian.

The Oxford philosopher, Richard Swinburne, gave one of the keynote addresses this morning on the self and the soul that many (it was probably over the heads of the vast majority) couldn't understand. I think I would have to include myself in this category. I gave it a valiant effort, but it was very tough sledding!

The pictures below are of the circular building in Radcliffe Square and the front side of St Aldates Church.