“Where ancient trees cradle my sorrows
In sympathy. And where in
The deafening sound of silence
I strain to hear the faintest whisper of God.
In the wilderness my broken spirit
Is healed. Even resurrected”

Hill Center is delighted to welcome Peter Coppelman for a celebratory Earth Day poetry reading from his new collection, A Life of Service. Poet Coppelman explores an exemplary life devoted to environmental protection, at the highest levels, into plain-spoken verse and in doing so gives us all a great way forward in this insane world. A memoir of a well-lived life of public service, written in poetry.

“Peter has been an environmental hero. He helped conserve some of the most endangered public spaces in America. His book is his story in verse. It deserves a wide read because it has much to say to people as they evaluate their own lives and contributions.” -Former Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA)

“I adored Peter’s book. His poems had me laughing out loud one second and brushing away tears the next. I never wanted it to end.” -Casey Wilson, Writer/Actor

“Peter’s introspective poetry charts a life of risks in service to the common good. As a public service lawyer in the middle of some of the seminal fights for justice in this country, Peter has wonderful, inspirational stories to tell, and the fact that he’s chosen poetry as his medium is intriguing. His book is his way of showing us the value of a full life that works for good despite the odds.” -John Graham, Co-Founder and Director of Giraffe Heroes International

The reading will be followed by a Q&A and book signing with Coppelman. Books will be available for purchase!
Click here for an advance copy.

In his legal career, Peter Coppelman, was described as a “warrior for justice.” Harvard Magazine named him “one of the leading public interest lawyers of his generation.” The Giraffe Heroes Project called him a Giraffe Hero for “continuously sticking his neck out for the common good, devoting his career to causes he believes in, bypassing opportunities to enrich himself.” Coppelman held litigation, lobbying, and management positions at California Rural Legal Assistance and The Wilderness Society, and had a Presidential appointment to the Department of Justice in the Clinton Administration focusing on environmental protection. In retirement Peter discovered poetry. On the plus side, he writes clearly, succinctly, and dramatically. On the minus side, his legal mind can be challenged by the intangibles of imagery, metaphor, and poetic reality. For reasons he can’t explain he has a natural facility with rhythm and rhyme. Coppelman received his AB, magna cum laude from Harvard and J.D. from Cornell Law School. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to India.