As a former United States poet laureate and winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, poet Robert Hass no longer needs scholarships to attend writing conferences.

Instead, he turns his talent toward teaching and raising funds for the next generation of writers.

Hass will appear with a number of other notable poets Friday in Nevada City at the Benefit Poetry Reading for the Community of Writers Workshops in Squaw Valley. Hass talks about his work and the Community of Writers workshops.