The Poetic Species: A Conversation with Edward O. Wilson and Robert Hass

<i><b>World Literature Today</b></i><b> Editor's Pick</b><br><br>&quot;Enchanting. . . . <i>The Poetic Species</i> is a wonderful read in its entirety, short yet infinitely simulating.&quot; - <b>MARIA POPOVA, <i>Brain Pickings</i></b><br><br>In this shimmering conversation (the outgrowth of an event co-sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History and Poets House) , Edward O. Wilson, renowned scientist and proponent of &quot;consilience&quot; or the unity of knowledge, finds an ardent interlocutor in Robert Hass, whose credo as United States poet laureate was &quot;imagination makes communities.&quot; As they explore the many ways that poetry and science enhance each other, they travel from anthills to ancient Egypt and to the heights and depths of human potential. A testament to how science and the arts can join forces to educate and inspire, this book is also a passionate plea for conservation of all the planet's species.<br><br><b>Edward O. Wilson</b>, a biologist, naturalist, and bestselling author, has received more than 100 awards from around the world, including the Pulitzer Prize. A professor emeritus at Harvard University, he lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.<br><br><b>Robert Hass</b>' poetry is rooted in the landscapes of his native northern California. He has been awarded the MacArthur &quot;Genius&quot; Fellowship, the National Book Critics Circle Award (twice) , the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. He is a professor of English at University of California-Berkeley.<br>