Dwight Bitikofer Artist Statement

Dwight Bitikofer approaches his poetry from varied angles. Some of his poetry is
narrative – he spent his career, after all, in journalism. Sometimes he is the photographer,
using words to capture a visual moment in time. Other poems pursue the ethereal and
elusive wanderings of his muse. He often focuses on place while attempting to create an
aura that reaches beyond geography. Still other poems touch on issues of social import.
Bitikofer’s poems are personal statements or an exploration of a specific angle of vision.
Luckily, those meanderings sometimes mesh with the experiences of readers and
listeners.

The sounds of words are important to Bitikofer’s poetry. He has learned to respect the
line of a poem as a unit unto itself. Bitikofer believes poetry is best experienced read
aloud, preferably in an environment where the poet can see and feel the sound and
inflection of his words reflected in the faces of an audience. He is grateful for such
reflections.