May 8, 2008 Poet Robert Hass to Moderate River of Words Awards Ceremony on May 12

WHAT: Winners and finalists of the 2008 River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Contest will be honored at a ceremony at the Library of Congress. The ceremony, hosted by the Center for the Book, will be moderated by Robert Hass, River of Words co-founder, former U.S. Poet Laureate and recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for Poetry. Ben Grumbles, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator for water, will make introductory remarks. River of Words will also be releasing two new books of art and poetry by young people at the event: an annual anthology of winning work, and “River of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things.” WHEN: Monday, May 12, at 10 a.m. WHERE: Room 119 on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. WHO: The ceremony will feature young people from throughout the country reading their winning poems about the natural world. Young people from throughout the world will also be displaying their winning landscape art. John Robrock, from San Benito High School in Hillister, Calif., will be honored as the 2008 Teacher of the Year. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.