We’ve heard a lot of talk lately about poetry in Maine.

Gov. Paul LePage’s snub, intentional or otherwise, of Maine poetry at last week’s inauguration galvanized the literary community and created a perfect learning moment.

Wesley McNair, one of Maine’s best-known poets on a national scale, was surprised when he learned the LePage team opted not to include at least some poetic verse at the inauguration. Several of the world’s best-known poets over time came from Maine, most obviously Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

The list of notable Maine poets also includes Edwin Arlington Robinson and Louise Bogan — one won multiple Pulitzer Prizes; the other was the nation’s poet laureate.

And that says nothing about the thriving group of poets living and writing in Maine today, including McNair, or the fact that prestigious poetry journals are based in Maine and circulate across the country and across borders.

“It seems to me we have bragging rights here in poetry. The last thing you’d want to do is bury that under a rock,” said McNair. “I think it’s important to talk about political realities and economic realities, but there is also a cultural reality. Maine has contributed so much to it across the arts, and in particular poetry. I think Maine ought to be honoring poetry rather than dismissing it.”

In many ways, McNair is a perfect example of a poet who is not standing still or living in the past.

The central Maine resident has begun an online project, Letters Between Poets. He’s working with the group United States Artists to raise a few thousand dollars for technical support to put a series of letters between McNair and his mentor, Donald Hall, on the Web.

The idea is to illustrate, through online documentation of letters exchanged between McNair and Hall, how a poem evolves from an idea in a writer’s mind to the printed page. putting these letters online, McNair hopes to encourage and guide other poets and writers. Students and teachers will also find these letters immensely helpful.

When McNair was starting out, Hall encouraged him. The letters they sent back and forth speak to the relationship of poet and mentor, and underline how important it is for a struggling artist to hear encouraging words.

In his early 20s, McNair was unsure of his path in life. He and his wife were starting a family, and he was teaching high school and taking graduate classes. He barely had time to write.

But he put together some work and shared it with Hall.

Writes McNair, “A couple of days later a letter from Don came in the mail, and when I finally dared to open it, I found these six words I’ll never forget: ‘I am dazzled by your poems.’ I carried that note around with me everywhere. I probably even took it to bed with me.

“And as it turned out, Don’s letter was the start of a correspondence between the two of us that has lasted to this day.”

The goal is to create an educational resource for students, readers and anyone else who might be interested in the evolution of a poem and the development of a poet.

United States Artists is hosting the project on the Web. McNair must raise $7,100 in pledges by Jan. 30 to fund the project. So far, he’s a little more than halfway toward his goal. When the funding goal is achieved, he will have the resources necessary to mount the project.

McNair is no stranger to online education.

In 2006, Colby College purchased his papers, which are now part of the college’s special collection. He and Colby’s special collections librarian, Patricia Burdick, have put a lot of the collection online already. Letters Between Poets will be part of that effort if it is fully funded.

United States Artists is an interesting story in itself. The organization began a few years ago to provide funding for artists. Each year, it grants 50 fellowships across the arts to 50 U.S. artists, each worth $50,000. McNair received a fellowship in the inaugural round in 2006.

The organization supplements the work of the National Endowment for the Arts, but uses private money. It is immune from the cycle of politics.

United States Artists asked McNair and a few other past fellows to brainstorm projects. Letters Between Poets grew out of that initiative. The objective is to fund grass-roots projects with local fundraising.

McNair worries that he will fall short of his fundraising goal. Funny thing is, the brouhaha that put Maine poetry in the spotlight last week might be the best thing that could have happened to help him.

Rarely has Maine poetry received as much attention as it has lately.

In an ironic twist, McNair can thank Gov. LePage for that. 

Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:

bkeyes@pressherald.com

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twitter.com/pphbkeyes