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Historic News About Our Laureate

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To kick off this last week of National Poetry Month and the start of National Library Week (this year’s theme: “There’s More to the Story”), we’re thrilled to announce that Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Ada Limón for a two-year second term. Previous laureate Joy Harjo served three consecutive one-year terms from 2019-2022, tying a record with Robert Pinsky from 1997-2000. However, Limón’s various outreach efforts, including her signature project, warranted a longer reappointment. Luckily, the 1985 law establishing the position states that the Librarian may appoint a laureate “for one- or two-year terms.”

On June 1st, Limón will return to the Library to unveil her poem for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Tickets will be available starting next week. In other big news: Limón’s signature project will involve a first-ever partnership with the National Park Service and the Poetry Society of America to present poems in national parks across the country. Fortuitously, news of this partnership is coming out during National Park Week! At the start of the laureate’s second term, in early September, we will give details on the project and more.

You can learn more about Limón and her laureateship in her Resource Guide. Here are a couple of featured videos from her first term. First, an interview she did for the announcement last July:

Second, her opening reading last September:

We hope you will join us in congratulating our laureate, and we can’t wait to tell you more about her plans in the coming months.

Comments

  1. Makes sense. The laureates, seems to me, need a much longer time to initiate projects and set them in motion if they are to take root and stay. Not be one-shot attempts.

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