America's Poet Laureate 2012-2013
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress serves as the nation's official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The Poet Laureate for 2012 - 2013 is Natasha Tretheway.
Natasha Trethewey was born in Gulfport, Mississippi on April 26, 1966. She is the author of four poetry collections and a book of creative non-fiction. Her honors include the Pulitzer Prize and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
On 7 June 2012 James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, named her the 19th US Poet Laureate. Billington said, after hearing her poetry at the National Book Festival, that he was "“immediately struck by a kind of classic quality with a richness and variety of structures with which she presents her poetry … she intermixes her story with the historical story in a way that takes you deep into the human tragedy of it." Newspapers noted that unlike most poet laureates, Trethewey is in the middle of her career. She will also be the first laureate to take up residence in Washington, D.C. when she does so in January 2013.
From The Library of Congress and Wikipedia
Read about Natasha Trethewey and find her poetry at:
See the New York Times Topics Page on Natasha Trethewey.
National Poetry Month Events at James P. Adams Library
National Poetry Month is in full-swing at James P. Adams Library! We will be having poetry readings and other fun ways to enjoy poetry during the month of April. See the LibGuide on Library Poetry Events for more information.
2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry 2007
Natasha Trethewey was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her collection "Native Guard."
Tretheway discusses this book in the video below.
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