International Herbert Award Winning Poet W.S. Merwin to Appear at FST and BookStore1, 5/3-4

W.S. Merwin a two-time Pulitzer winner and former U.S. Poet Laureate, known for his prolific work and penetrating themes has been granted the International Herbert Award. This award is an honor to Poets across the globe. Merwin will be a special guest at FST and BookStore1 Poetry Life Weekend, taking place on May 3^rd and 4^th.

Merwin was announced as a winner of the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award underlines the cultural input in the development of world literature on the 11^th of March at Teatre Polski in Warsaw. The American writer, poet and literary critic Edward Hirsch called Merwin "one of the greates poets of the 20th century" and a "contemporary Thoreau."

During the Poetry Life weekend Merwin along with prize-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye will explore his work and methods with teachers at a dinner honoring community educators. Students have the chance to submit their own work to present to the honorable poets for the Student Poetry Readings. All members of the community are encouraged to submit their favorite poem - written by an established poet - for the opportunity to participate in the Favorite Poem Reading. In addition, teachers are invited to perform in a special Teacher Poetry Slam. Details and applications can be found at Bookstore1 or on the web at www.bookstore1sarasota.com.

The weekend will conclude with a dinner and celebration of poetry with Nye and Merwin to raise money for local educators. These funds will aid educators in their efforts to grow and foster poetry in Sarasota classrooms. More details will come in the weeks ahead; for more information please call the FST Box Office or visit floridastudiotheatre.org or BookStore1Sarasota.com. Come celebrate poetry and fertilize its roots in the community for generations to come.

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building - now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American theatre, presenting Contemporary Theatre in its four theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret, the Gompertz Theatre and the John C. Court Cabaret.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

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