“Poetry Nation”: March/April Issue of Library of Congress Magazine Dons Laurels

Finding it hard to scratch that poetry itch during the lead-up to National Poetry Month? We’ve got the balm you need! The March/April issue of Library of Congress Magazine (LCM), released online today, shines a spotlight on the Library’s poetry-related activities, services, and collections. Among the topics of the articles and features in the poetry-themed issue are:

• advice to high school students from former Poet Laureate Billy Collins on how to read a poem aloud;
• a survey of major notable poetry events and competitions for young people;
• an announcement of the Library’s plans to make poetry and literature recordings from its Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape and its Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature freely available online;
• a look at five American women poets whose works are represented in the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division;
• a spotlight on Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, along with a look at a revised draft of his poem “O Captain! My Captain!”;
• a feature on Abel Meeropol, who wrote the poem upon which Billy Holiday’s iconic song about racial inequality, “Strange Fruit,” was written;
• a history of the position of U.S. Poet Laureate, from its origins in 1936 to the present;
• the romantic history of the Rebekah Bobbitt Johnson National Prize for Poetry;
• an overview of the Library’s Poetry and Literature Center; and
• an interview with current U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright.

We hope you’ll lean back, perhaps pour yourself a glass of Poet Laureate-blended wine, and enjoy the read. When you’re done, let us know what you think in the comments below!