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 …
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 …
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 …
The following is a guest post by Christopher Merrill, director of the International Writing Program. This Friday, November 3, at 12:00 pm, the Library will host the International Writing Program Spotlight in the Whittall Pavilion. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Writing Program, residents Enza García Arreaza (Venezuela) and Santiago Giralt (Argentina) will participate in a discussion with Cynthia P. …
The following is a guest post by Marie Arana, literary advisor to the Library of Congress; coordinator of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction; and the literary director of the National Book Festival. My first encounter with Denis Johnson was harrowing and it was on the page. As a literary critic, I had …
The following post by John Sayers, a public affairs specialist in the Library’s Office of Communications, originally appeared on the Library of Congress Blog. Today we launched our newest podcast series, “La Biblioteca” (The Library), in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Every Thursday for the next eight weeks, Library specialists will explore the Library’s …
On September 13, Tracy K. Smith greeted a packed house in the Coolidge Auditorium for her inaugural reading as 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. “I remember when I was very young I started, but was never able to finish, a poem in which I was trying to imagine the afterlife as a library,” she said …
Tonight at 7 PM, Tracy K. Smith will take the stage for her inaugural reading as 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. The event is sold out, but don’t fret: If you’re unable to attend in person, you can still attend virtually; this historic evening will be streamed live via Facebook and YouTube. Librarian of …
Today, as thousands upon thousands of high schools around the country bittersweetly sounded their morning bells for the first time this school year, we at the Poetry and Literature Center sounded our bells as well. Why, you ask? Because the start of the school year also brings with it the start of Poetry 180, and …