Today's Top Stop: Charles Simic's Poetry

CHARLES SIMIC claims that he began writing poetry because his buddy used love poems to deftly woo women. Information on Simic's subsequent success with the fairer sex is hard to come by, but it is widely known that his scribblings have, at least, scored him a Pulitzer Prize for poetry (he wrote the only book of prose poetry to do so), an English professor's salary from the University of New Hampshire, membership in the Academy of American Arts and Letters (where he's joined by Norman Mailer, Kurt Vonnegut and 247 other people you may have heard of) and, of course, this humble write-up.

It is safe to assume that when the Belgrade-born poet describes his youthful worldview being formed by "Germans and Allies dropping bombs on my head," he is speaking figuratively. Simic has also said that he's most influenced by ancient Chinese, Roman, French Symbolist and American Modernist poets. Despite the rarified pedigree, his work is entirely accessible and, aside from the pensive, sometimes grim tone of such poems as "Paradise Motel" and the Rilke-esque "The School of Metaphysics," the wordsmith has been known to deploy a potent sense of humor in person. Simic will read from his latest book, "My Noiseless Entourage," tonight at Folger Theatre.
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE; 7:30 p.m., $12; 202-544-4600. (Capitol South)

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