Accolades for Poets

A good poem is like an arrow shot from a bow, it penetrates deeply. However, poems do not wound. They heal us. Recently these three poets have been honored for their work. Click on the links to find out more about these writers and their truly great work.

What is a poet laureate? A laureate award honors the poet. The United States appoints a poet laureate consultant to the Library of Congress. Generally, the poet laureate initiates a program that will promote poetry and expand the audience for poetry. Many cities and states have a poet laureate program. It is a great way to recognize the contributions of poets and to create community around the art of writing poetry.

I want to thank the Duluth Poet Laureate program for the opportunity to be the city's poet laureate for 2010-2012.  In May, a new poet laureate will be named and I look forward to the new initiatives that person will create. It's been a wonderful experience. In the role, I offered workshops and completed a Community Arts Learning project, collecting poems and writing about transitions in life. These have been collected in the book, Migrations: Poetry and Prose for Life's Transitions (Wildwood River, 2011). 

Nobel Prize for Literature

Tomas Tranströmer
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/arts/swedish-poet-wins-nobel-prize-for-literature.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=tomas%20transtromer&st=cse
Selection of poems

http://tomastranstromer.net/poetry/poetry-3/

U.S. Poet Laureate
Philip Levine
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/laureate.html
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/philip-levine
sample poem
"What Work Is"  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/182873

Minnesota Poet Laureate
Joyce Sutphen
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/08/23/state-poet-laureate/
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/joyce-sutphen
sample poems
"Homesteading" http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/176/1#20604932
"Aunts"  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/241314