National Youth Poet Laureate Celebration
2017 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and the 2018 National Youth Poet Laureate finalists participated in a reading and moderated discussion with Michael Cirelli, executive director of Urban Word NYC. Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, gave opening remarks. This event is free and open to the public. Presented in partnership with Urban Word.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2018
Film, Video
Life of a Poet: Matthew Zapruder
Washington Post Book World editor Ron Charles spoke with poet Matthew Zapruder about his career and the major events that have shaped his work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2018
Film, Video
Staying Human: Poetry in the Age of Technology
Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith returned to the Library to report on her outreach efforts and focus for her second term. Smith read poems and discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World and host of the Library's "Life of a Poet" series.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2018
Film, Video
2017 Asian American Literary Festival
The Library of Congress hosted the concluding day of the groundbreaking Asian American Literature Festival. The day featured a lecture and reading by writer and American Book Award winner Karen Tei Yamashita titled, "Literature as Community: the Turtle, Imagination, and the Journey Home." The afternoon session included a lecture by poet Kimiko Hahn on "Angel Island: The Roots and Branches of Asian-American Poetry," and…
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
National Student Poetry Program
Five teenagers chosen from among thousands of award-winning poets receive the country's highest honor for youth poets presenting original work from the Librarian of Congress and the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services at a ceremony where they read their work. The National Student Poets Program is an initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) in…
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Life of a Poet: Brenda Shaughnessy
Washington Post Book World editor Ron Charles spoke with poet Brenda Shaughnessy about her career and the major events that have shaped her work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
African Poetry Book Fund Spotlight
During the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference, African Poetry Book Fund board members discussed contemporary African poetry.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Pablo Neruda in Translation
Forrest Gander read from his new book "Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems" and participated in a discussion with Marjorie Agosin.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office - Library of Congress. Hispanic Division
Date:2017
Film, Video
US-Canada Capital Poetry Exchange
Suzanne Buffam, David O'Meara and Liz Howard recited their poetry in the first of an ongoing collaboration between Ottawa's VerseFest and the Library of Congress.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Fiction, Faith and the Imagination: Celebrating Marilynne Robinson
Geraldine Brooks and Paul Harding joined Alan Lightman to discuss the myriad ways faith informs the work of Marilynne Robinson. The conversation was moderated by Steven Knapp. Robinson joined the panel discussion for its conclusion.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Bobbitt Prize Reading with Nathaniel Mackey & Claudia Rankine
The Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry was awarded to Nathaniel Mackey (lifetime achievement) and Claudia Rankine (for "Citizen: An American Lyric"). The poets received their awards and read selections from their work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Speak the People / the Spark / el Poema: Celebrating Juan Felipe Herrera
A host of acclaimed scholars, musicians and community organizers joined Juan Felipe Herrera to close his second term as U.S. Poet Laureate. The panel discussion with Juan Felipe Herrera and Martha Gonzalez, Hugo Morales and Louie Perez was moderated by Rafael Perez-Torres. Grammy Award-winning band Quetzal closed the evening with a concert.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Juan Felipe Herrera & Tom Sleigh
US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera and essayist Tom Sleigh read from their work and participated in a discussion moderated by Fiona McCrae from Graywolf Press.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith Inaugural Reading
Tracy K. Smith gave her inaugural reading as the 22nd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. She was joined by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who opened the event with an original poem.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Life of a Poet: Dawn Lundy Martin
An in-depth discussion with poet Dawn Lundy Martin, covering her entire career and the major events that have shaped her work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
2017 International Writing Program Spotlight
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Writing Program, residents Enza García Arreaza (Venezuela) and Santiago Giralt (Argentina) participated in a discussion with Cynthia P. Schneider, Amy Storrow and Christopher Merrill. Presented in partnership with the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office - Library of Congress. Hispanic Division
Date:2017
Film, Video
Literature of World War I.
Yusef Komunyakaa discussed his favorite World War I authors and read selections of his own award-winning work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Life of a Poet: Rae Armantrout
Ron Charles had an in-depth discussion with poet Rae Armantrout about her career and explored the major events that have shaped her work. Readings from her work were interspersed throughout the conversation.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2017
Film, Video
Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca: Juan Felipe Herrera's "Automatika" Series
Juan Felipe Herrera discusses graphic art from Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca as well as his own drawing/artist book from his "Automatika" series, with Library fine prints curator Katherine Blood. Watch the webcast and read a poem response from the Poet Laureate.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2016
Film, Video
From the Black Arts Movement to Cave Canem: Master Class
A private master class in children's literature held during a day-long symposium in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Black Arts Movement and the 20th anniversary of the literary organization Cave Canem.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office
Date:2016
Film, Video
International Literature: Ko Un
Korean poet Ko Un read his work in Korean, following by English translation by Brother Anthony. Afterwards, Frank Stewart moderated a discussion of the work.
Contributor:
Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Literary Initiatives Office