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2008 Speakers

Scott Cairns

Scott Cairns is a poet who teaches at the University of Missouri–Columbia. His books include The Theology of Doubt, The Translation of Babel, Recovered Body, and Philokalia. Cairns is interested in what he calls "sacramental poetics"—exploring the relationship between religion and poetry. Earlier this year he published a memoir—A Short Trip to the Edge—which “offers readers a unique and often compelling perspective on life as a pilgrim” (Publishers Weekly).