Related Resources
Connect with Us
Poetry and Literature
“I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide...” Billy Collins Read poem
Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry
Tracy K. Smith was appointed by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to serve as the 22nd Poet Laureate on June 14, 2017. Smith is the author of three books of poetry, including Life on Mars (2011), winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Smith took up her duties in September 2017, opening the Library’s annual literary season with a reading of her work in the Coolidge Auditorium.
More About Tracy K. Smith | Past Poets Laureate
Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
Denis Johnson was posthumously awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on July 11, 2017. Johnson is the author of nine novels—including Tree of Smoke (2007), winner of the 2008 National Book Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize—as well as numerous plays, poetry collections, a short story collection, and a novella. He died on May 24, 2017. Nicole Aragi, Johnson’s agent, accepted the posthumous prize on his behalf during the 2017 Library of Congress National Book Festival.
More About Denis Johnson | Past Winners
From the Catbird Seat – Poetry and Literature Center Blog
Read the latest blog post:
Read more blog posts | Subscribe via Email or RSS
Upcoming Events
JANUARY 13, 2:00 PM
POETS LAUREATE: FROM LA TO DC. 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis will participate in a reading and moderated discussion.
Learn more
FEBRUARY 27, 12:00 PM CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS. 2017 Caine Prize winner Bushra al-Fadil will read from his prize-winning short story “The Story of the Girl Whose Birds Flew Away” and participate in a moderated discussion.
Learn more
