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This video records a poetry reading and talk presented in the Lownes Room, John Hay Library, on April 23, 2008, by Anny Ballardini, Peter S. Thompson and Henry Gould. Ms. Ballardini, of Bolzano, Italy, was visiting the U.S. as a guest of the Roger Williams University Creative Writing Program (at the instigation of Prof. Thompson), in order to participate in the translation segment of RWU's Spring Poetry Series, and to present her Italian translation of a book-length poem by Mr. Gould, titled In RI.

In honor of Shakespeare's birthday (April 23), Mr. Gould opens with a reading of Sonnet 116, and then introduces Prof. Thompson, who reads from his own poetry, and from a recently-published volume of his translations of the francophone African poet, Véronique Tadjo, titled Red Earth. Ms. Ballardini follows with a reading of her poem "Apocalypse." Mr. Gould offers some introductory comments, and then he and Ms. Ballardini read excerpts, in English and Italian, from In RI. The program concludes with a few questions from the audience.