Ewing's MFA training, experience, and outsider's objectivity helped ensure the selection of poems of the very highest quality from North Carolina. Ewing visited Kostroma in 1995 and has hosted Kostroma writers in the D.C. area for Sister Cities of Durham. Bazankov plans events to celebrate Earth and Soul in the city and region of Kostroma. Hogan has been invited to attend these celebrations in late May. Selling books is very difficult in the current Russian economic situation, although Russians are avid readers of poetry.
Inarguable truths come to mind.
Poetic vision can break down many barriers besides language. Sister Cities of Durham is a non-profit organization officially authorized by the city of Durham and affiliated with Sister Cities International, the premier organization for citizen diplomacy. SCD, which fosters cultural understanding through meetings and other contacts between people, businesses, public agencies, and other organizations, is one of the few Sister Cities organizations in the U.S. with a strong program of cooperative literary projects and exchanges. The North Carolina Arts Council awards grants each year to provide diverse arts experiences for citizens in all 100 counties of North Carolina. Grants require that matching funds be raised by the applicant organization.