Flying west

Yesterday evening I crossed the Atlantic, into the setting sun. Seven hours of dusk.

I have come to Boston to talk and read poems at the Blum Resource Center of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on Thursday 4 October. This is such a privilege.

Here is something about the Dana-Farber:

Dana-Farber employs more than 3,680 people. There are more than 299,202 adult and pediatric patient visits a year, and it is involved in more than 700 clinical trials. It is internationally known for its research and clinical excellence, having been ranked the fifth best cancer hospital in the United States.

In addition to being a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber is also a federally designated Center for AIDS Research, and a federally designated comprehensive cancer center. Providing advanced training in cancer treatment and research for an international faculty, Dana-Farber conducts community-based programs in cancer prevention, detection, and control throughout New England, and maintains joint programs with other Boston institutions affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Dana-Farber is supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and private foundations and individuals contributions. The Jimmy Fund is the principal charity of the Institute named for one of its child patients. The Boston Red Sox adopted the Jimmy Fund as its official charity in 1953 and continues to prominently sponsor the charity.