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Archive: 2017 (79 Posts)

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Looking Ahead to 2018 Events

Posted by: Anne Holmes

As 2017 comes to an end, we’re excited to share what the Poetry and Literature Center has in store for the first half of 2018: For those on the West Coast, catch National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis at the Los Angeles Central Library on Saturday, January 13. The …

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Christmas poems by Joseph Brodsky and other U.S. Poets Laureate

Posted by: Peter Armenti

A few years back I wrote a blog post about Robert Frost’s “Christmas Cards.” Frost’s cards—chapbooks, more accurately—were first issued in 1929, and then annually from 1934-1962. While Frost was the first Consultant in Poetry or Poet Laureate to embrace a literary Christmastime tradition, he was not the last. In 1962, the year Frost’s final …

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“The Poet Diaries”: Giving the Gift of Poetry

Posted by: Anne Holmes

The following is a guest post by the inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman. This is the third in a series of monthly blog posts that Amanda will be writing during her laureateship this year.  This week something miraculous happened: I got a poem from my Secret Santa. Now, this might not seem that incredible, …

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Emily Dickinson—It’s What We’re Singing

Posted by: Anne Holmes

The following is a guest post by Pat Padua, Digital Conversion Specialist in the Library of Congress’ Music Division, on the occasion of Emily Dickinson’s 187th birthday (December 10). “I play the old, odd tunes yet, which used to flit about your head after honest hours.” One of the most iconic of American poets, Emily …

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“Success is Counted Sweetest” on Emily Dickinson’s 187th Birthday

Posted by: Anne Holmes

This coming Sunday, December 10, marks what would be Emily Dickinson’s 187th birthday. Around the country, Dickinson lovers will gather together to read all 1,789 of her known poems in a “marathon” tradition and tribute to the Belle of Amherst. The Library, in partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library, hosted one such marathon in 2014. …

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Poems as Windows and Mirrors

Posted by: Peter Armenti

The following guest post, part of our “Teacher’s Corner” series, is by Rebecca Newland, a Fairfax County Public Schools Librarian and former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress. In the school library world we frequently discuss how books can serve as mirrors and windows for our students. Books, poems, and other literary works …

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The Life of a Poet: Rae Armantrout

Posted by: Anne Holmes

Somehow it’s almost December, which means that the Poetry and Literature Center’s fall event season is coming to a close. Before you shutter yourselves in for the winter, though, make sure to join us tomorrow night for The Life of a Poet, featuring Rae Armantrout in conversation with The Washington Post‘s Ron Charles, at the historic …

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Literary Treasures: The Life of a Poet with Frank Bidart

Posted by: Anne Holmes

The following post is part of our monthly series, “Literary Treasures,” which highlights audio and video recordings drawn from the Library’s extensive online collections, including the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. By showcasing the works and thoughts of some of the greatest poets and writers from the past 75 years, the series advances the …