Poet David Whyte brings relief to the briefcase set

Acclaimed poet David Whyte, author of several books and anthologies dealing with the subject of harmony in the workplace, will give a talk entitled "The House of Belonging" to the College on Tuesday at Finney Chapel. Combining the fine art of good communication skills with proper business consulting, the question really is, what's it to the average Obie? A lot, using Whyte's logic of the interconnections between his specialties.

Though poetry may seem like the least likely of activities to boost competitive business, the University of Wales graduate has succeeded in consulting with large corporation clients, convincing them of the positive relationship between organization of thought and organization of creativity. With clientele including AT&T, the Boeing Company and Stanford University to name a few, Whyte's talks and workshops have been more than successful.

Whyte's international cameos include the London Times, National Public Radio and "Good Morning America" amongst others. He is said to "encourage us to ask questions about the nature of our existence and happiness in the very midst of our busy workdays," as one interviewer put it. And his list of published works speaks for itself. With titles like The Soul of Business and his best-selling The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul, Whyte's experience spreads as far as his knowledge.

While Oberlin is obviously a different audience than that of a marketing division of AT&T, the relationships he draws between the human mind and its capabilities is sure to benefit any knowledge-thirsted mind. And besides his novels on the subject of keys to running a smooth business, he has written four books of poetry, of which his most popular shares its name with Tuesday's lecture.

Whyte may make his living advising large corporations, but on Tuesday, he will offer his words of wisdom to the students of Oberlin. When given the opportunity to listen to a man who knows this much about how our psyche interacts with our creativity, the smart choice is to attend.

David Whyte will deliver his talk, "The House of Belonging," Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. in Finney Chapel. The event is free.