Yesterday Nobel laureate Derek Walcott received some surprise support following a difficult week–his former accuser defended the poet in a newspaper essay.
Earlier this week Walcott removed his name from the running for Oxford’s professor of poetry position following anonymous attacks about a sexual harassment charge in his past. In 1996 Nicole Kelby sued Walcott for sexual harassment, but in her essay, she called him “the greatest living poet in our time.”
Here’s more from her essay in defense of the poet: “However, while I believe that it is not appropriate to be sexual towards students, I also realize that it happens. Writers, by nature, have reckless hearts. Poetry is a passionate art.” (Via BookNinja)