Distinguished Professor Rowan Ricardo Philips

Rowen Riccardo Philip’s fourth publication: Silver

The Poetry Center was filled with energy like never before during Rowan Ricardo Philips’ poetry reading. Recently publishing his fourth book, Silver, Distinguished Professor Philips took us on a captivating journey through his past works by beautifully reading and explaining a variety of poems he’s crafted throughout his life. Reflecting on his work process, Professor Philips gave masterful insight to answer the seemingly impossible question: when do you know a poem is truly complete?

The first and last poems of Philips’ book Silver have the exact same title: “The Sun.” Professor Philips claimed that although the sun is an invented name by humans, it is the essential thing among billions of others, and that gives it meaning. I found “The Sun” to be an appropriate beginning and ending for Silver because not only is the sun one of the most profound reasons for the beginning of our existence, it can also be an ending to it. 

Professor Philips’ passion for poetry is unmeasurable. By seeing the world through poetry, he can abstractly articulate what most would recall as forgettable moments- whether it’s a car ride during a road trip or small talk- and turn them into works of art. His process for poetry, however, struck me as unconventionally unique. Rather than writing down his ideas immediately, he waits until they’ve reached their final stages, trusting that if a thought is interesting enough, it will linger in his memory until it’s ready to be written. Although odd, I guess that mindset does, in fact, work; after all, I didn’t write down this detail in my notes, yet it stayed with me for this write-up.

It was such a pleasure to witness Professor Philips’s mind at work throughout the night. An audience member with the work in front of them even mentioned that as Professor Philips was reading his poems to the audience, he would occasionally alter them. Professor Phillips credits this to being so in the moment, with the familiar faces of friends and colleagues in the room showcasing the everchanging progression and the fluidity of art.