The Evolution of the Flightless Bird “How blessed were we, the Village of Stonington and all of us, to have been able to know and love James Ingram Merrill. To have the icon of American literature living here, acting just like one of us, an ordinary citizen, for forty-plus years, while touching our lives with light” (Boatwright 1). The strong statement, made by Mrs. Boatwright at the dedication of the James Merrill Reading Room, “…the icon …showed first 75 words of 2121 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2121 total…-2000 Britannica.com Inc. http://www.britannica.com/seo/j/james-merrill/ The Academy of American Poets. “James Merrill.” Copyright ã 1997-2000 by The Academy of American Poets. http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=221 Keene, Anne T. “James Merrill’s Life.” Copyright ã 2000 Modern American Poetry. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/merrill/life.htm Boatwright, Mrs. V.T. “Our James.” Copyright ã 2001 Stonington Village Improvement Association, Inc. http://www.stoningtonvia.org/merrill.htm