The Favorite Poem Project: Missoula Mayor John Engen

By Anne Medley, 10-16-08

The 2008 Montana Festival of the Book takes place Oct. 23-25 in Missoula, featuring some of the finest writers in the West.

This year’s Festival includes a new event called “The Favorite Poem Project,” a community-based reading originally developed by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky to demonstrate the civic presence of poetry.  The concept is simple: individuals from the local community share their favorite poem, taking a minute to say how it has been meaningful in their lives.

In this video, Missoula Mayor John Engen reads and discusses his favorite poem by Ogden Nash.