Courtesy of Kim Stafford
On April 14, in a virtual poetry reading, Kim Stafford, a retired Lewis & Clark professor and former Oregon poet laureate, shared his experiences traveling abroad and his process of manifesting that time into poetry. Through his process, Stafford aims to make traveling more meaningful than “seeing the sights” by showing how a writing practice can transform a journey. Stafford shared a collection of poems written in Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and more. As a major step in his process, Stafford asks, what have you been carrying, and how can you turn it into poetry?
Stafford claims that poetry can convey an appreciation for nature far more sensually than a photo ever could. In Iceland, he stayed in the countryside, visiting a farm of exceptionally rare horses where he was particularly struck by rolling green hills, majestic blue glaciers, and unique flora and fauna. The themes evident in poems he shared from this visit involve the natural flow of change, the beauty of the natural world and the importance of the individual in poems such as “What My Country Could Learn From Iceland.”
Next Stafford shared some of his experiences in Bhutan on a trip with students. He described the environment as a cold, dark and snowy January in a country where the government had just passed legislation to remove power lines to protect the native Black-necked crane. Here, Stafford shared a piece of wisdom given by a travel companion: “Those who do not know Buddha may see the past as a series of burdens or crimes. They are burdened with living in the moment.” From this, Stafford understood that enjoying the present is helping others and that knowing Buddha is accepting your story. You do this by being creative and sharing your inner self with others, a goal in his writing.
Stafford shared another lesson in writing which arrived through an unexpected nighttime encounter. While sleeping, he was accosted by the barking of a loud dog, Nado. Though annoyed at that moment, Stafford shared that he later learned about the dog’s responsibility to alert residents of leopards and ghosts. In writing “Nado’s Poem,” he imparts the creative act of turning displeasure into gratitude — for which writing is the instrument.
Next Stafford brought us with him to England, in a closed (and locked) Regent’s Park after seeing a play with his wife. The poem, “You Are Here,” in light of his experience of being stuck in unfamiliar surroundings, also encapsulates the themes of acceptance and contingent living that he had obtained from his many travels. With this poem Stafford attempts to capture a moment — locked, lost, away from turmoil.
“Here in this night and place and not anywhere else in time, not an extension of your worst moments, but the life you breathe into this moment. Leave who you were, where you were, because when you travel, you are here,” he said at the talk.
In Scotland, where Stafford wrote most of his poetry shared at the event, the landscapes and local life continue to enchant him. His first poem describes his experience visiting a shieling, a simple Scottish hut without a door where either a mother and her children or cows stay for summer leisure. The next describes the mutual consciousness of drivers on the narrow roads of Scotland, with “passing places” for cars to pause and “share an understanding.” Stafford also described Scottish wonder in “The Great Unconformity,” where geology was revolutionized. Through the poem, he conveys the monumental passage of time.
“A stratum of amnesia in the geological record, where overlying rock, significantly younger than what lies below, represents some break in an otherwise continuous story of formation,” Stafford read.
Lastly, Stafford brought us on his journey to Ireland, which he described as “such a wonderful place to get lost.” Here he offered an interesting notion of traveling: “The Right to be Forgotten.” According to Stafford, the title of the poem was derived from a local lawsuit against Google, which had updated photos of older women without their consent. It was their right, as they attested in court, to control their public perception. This notion struck a chord with Stafford, who attested that this should be the case for every traveler. This represents the right to be a new person — to be no one, to withdraw your own perception from society and, of course, use it as inspiration to write.
“It is fun to write, not know where it is going and then learn, and revise. When you’re a writer every inconvenience is an opportunity — as a writer even insomnia is a gift,” Stafford shared. Most of all, Stafford believes writing opens doors to deeper, more meaningful connections to the places you spend time. He describes the essence of the traveler: eating, meeting and learning. It is his advice to write broadly until you get to something you have been carrying, write about or for a person, place, feeling or time — what he calls, the anthem to pacifism.
All of the poems read in this session, along with more written in these journeys abroad, are compiled in books available for purchase on his website. Additionally, Stafford and his wife will be hosting a guided trip to Ireland in September 2026 through LC’s travel program. They will lead travelers to Dublin, west to Galway and north to Belfast, blending poetry and history with the quest for peace and discovery. Learn more about the LC travel program on their website. The deadline for registration for his trip is May 7.
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