In celebration of Black History Month, this post highlights some of the many contributions of Black poets and writers, including former U.S. Poets Laureate, to the Library's 100+ year history of literary programs and initiatives.
David Sutton, producer of the Poetvision video series (1988-1990), discusses Stanley Kunitz's poem "The Portrait" and Kunitz's involvement in Poetvision programming.
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 June, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden named Joy Harjo the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. On September 19, the date of her …
This is the first in a series of five posts documenting Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s summertime meetings with librarians and curators across the Library of Congress. The meetings grew out of Harjo’s interest in learning more about the Library’s services and collections, especially Library materials pertaining to Native peoples and cultures. This post highlights Harjo’s …
As the poetry specialist in the Library’s Researcher and Reference Services Division, I receive my fair share of questions about U.S. poets laureate. Most often, people ask about the history of the laureateship, or about the activities of a particular laureate during his or her term. Very rarely, though, do I receive questions about specific …
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 …
UPDATE 1: The full text of Tracy K. Smith’s talk, “Staying Human: Poetry in the Age of Technology,” is now available through The Washington Post. UPDATE 2: The full video of Tracy K. Smith’s talk, “Staying Human: Poetry in the Age of Technology,” is now available on the Library’s website. It is embedded below: …
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 …
The following is a guest post by Anne Holmes, a new staff member in the Library’s Poetry and Literature Center. As we excitedly kick off another event season, we also celebrate the kickoff of Juan Felipe Herrera’s second term as U.S. Poet Laureate. In the coming weeks, we can’t wait to share what Herrera has …