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Back to Current Literary Season, 2017-2018
The following is a list of Poetry Readers and Events from previous seasons.
Literary Season 2016-2017
Monday, September 19, 6:30 PM
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: KO UN. Korean poet Ko Un and his translator, Brother Anthony, gave a bi-lingual reading of Ko’s work, followed by a brief moderated discussion with Frank Stewart, writer and editor of MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing.
Thursday, September 29, 7:00 PM
THE LIFE OF A POET: TERRANCE HAYES. Poet Terrance Hayes discussed his work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World.
Wednesday, October 12, 6:30 PM
ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: KUNDIMAN SPOTLIGHT.Poets Janine Joseph and Aimee Nezhukumatathil read and discussed their work with Kundiman Advisory Board Co-Chair Jennifer Chang.
Tuesday, October 18, 4:00 PM
POETRY, PUBLISHING AND RACE. Rob Casper, head of the Poetry and Literature Center led a discussion with poets/editors, Cathy Park Hong (New Republic), Don Share (Poetry Magazine), Evie Shockley (Feminist Studies), Carmen Giménez Smith (Puerto del Sol/Noemi Press) on the ways poetry helps us navigate race in contemporary American culture.
Thursday, October 20, 6:30 PM
LAW & LITERATURE. Lawyer and poet Monica Youn read from her new book, Blackacre, and participated in a discussion with Martha Dragich, Professor Emerita of Law at the University of Missouri.
Thursday, November 3, 4:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT. Program residents Khaled Alkhamissi (Egypt), Ukamaka Olisakwe (Nigeria), Yaroslava Pulinovich (Russia), and Zhou Jianing (China) read selections of their work and participated in a moderated discussion with Christopher Merrill, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
Friday, November 4, 12:00 PM
CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: SHENAZ PATEL. Mauritian writer Shenaz Patel will read selections of her work and participate in a moderated discussion with Eve Ferguson, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division.
Friday, November 18, 12:00 PM
CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: KWAME DAWES. Ghanaian writer Kwame Dawes read selections of his work and participated in a moderated discussion with Angel Batiste, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division.
Friday, December 2, 12:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: MIGUEL DE CERVANTES. William Egginton, Andrew W. Mellon Professor at Johns Hopkins University, discussed his new book The Man Who Invented Fiction: How Cervantes Ushered in the Modern World.
Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 PM
THE LIFE OF A POET: BRENDA SHAUGHNESSY. Poet Brenda Shaughnessy discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World.
Friday, February 10, 1:00 PM
CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: AFRICAN POETRY BOOK FUND SPOTLIGHT. During the annual AWP Conference, African Poetry Book Fund board members Chris Abani, Matthew Shenoda, and Aracelis Girmay discussed contemporary African poetry with Mary Jane Deeb, chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division. Immediately following, Kwame Dawes introduced African poets Yasmin Belkhyr, Chekwube O. Danladi, Safia Elhillo, Tsitsi Jaji, Mukoma Wa Ngugi, Ladan Osman, Hope Wabuke, and Patricia Jabbeh Wesley who read from their work.
Monday, February 13 - Tuesday, February 14, 4:00 PM
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: PABLO NERUDA. Two events celebrated Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner, Pablo Neruda. Monday, February 13, 4:00 PM: (Mary Pickford Theater) Special advanced screening of Neruda, internationally co-produced biographical film directed by Pablo Larraín starring Gael Garcia Bernal. Tuesday, February 14, 4:00 PM: (Mumford Room) Poet and translator, Forrest Gander read from his new book, Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda and participated in a discussion with Chilean-born author Marjorie Agosín and Georgette Dorn, chief of the Hispanic Division.
Thursday, February 16, 6:30 PM
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: IMMANUEL MIFSUD. Maltese poet and fiction writer, Immanuel Mifsud read and discussed his work with Lucia Wolf, Reference Librarian in the European Division.
Thursday, March 30, 4:00 PM
US/CA CAPITAL POETRY EXCHANGE. Canadian poets Suzanne Buffam, Liz Howard and David O’Meara shared and discussed selections of their work with Monty Reid, director of VERSeFest.
Monday, April 3, 7:00 PM
FICTION, FAITH, AND THE IMAGINATION. Authors/scholars Geraldine Brooks, Paul Harding, Steven Knapp, and Alan Lightman joined 2016 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction winner, Marilynne Robinson in a panel discussion centered on intersections of fiction, faith, and the imagination.
Tuesday, April 4, 7:00 PM
THE LIFE OF A POET: DANA LEVIN. Poet Dana Levin discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World.
Wednesday, April 12, 12:00 PM
CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: LIDUDUMALINGANI MQOMBOTHI. South African author and 2016 Caine Prize winner Lidudumalingani Mqombothi read from his prize-winning short story “Memories We Lost” and participated in a moderated discussion with Laverne Page, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division.
Thursday, April 20, 6:30 PM
BOBBITT PRIZE READING: NATHANIEL MACKEY AND CLAUDIA RANKINE. The co-winners of the 14th Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry ― Nathaniel Mackey for Lifetime Achievement and Claudia Rankine for her book Citizen ― read selections of their work.
Wednesday, April 26, 12:00 PM; 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
POET LAUREATE CLOSING EVENTS: SPEAK THE PEOPLE/THE SPARK/EL POEMA. A host of acclaimed scholars, musicians, and community organizers joined Juan Felipe Herrera to close his second term as U.S. Poet Laureate. The Fresno State Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Cari Earnhart, performed newly commissioned pieces created with Juan Felipe Herrera; followed by a Panel Discussion with Juan Felipe Herrera and Martha Gonzalez, Hugo Morales, and Louie Pérez, moderated by Rafael Pérez-Torres. To close out the evening, the Grammy Award-winning band Quetzal gave a concert.
Saturday, July 29, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE FESTIVAL. Two events concluded a city-wide, three-day festival celebrating Asian American literature. American Book Award winner Karen Tei Yamashita gives a lecture, “Literature as Community: The Turtle, Imagination, and the Journey Home,” followed by a fiction reading featuring Kundiman fellows Vt Hung, Mark Keats and Sejal Shah. And, Poetry Society of America President Kimiko Hahn gives a lecture, “Angel Island: The Roots and Branches of Asian American Poetry,” followed by a poetry reading featuring July Poetry magazine contributors Kazim Ali, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Paisley Rekdal, Gerald Maa, Sally Wen Mao, Rajiv Mohabir, Khaty Xiong and John Yau.
Literary Season 2015-2016
September 10: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: SRIKANTH REDDY, As part of the ongoing series, poet Srikanth Reddy gave a lecture on poetry.
September 15: POET LAUREATE INAUGURAL READING, 21st Poet Laureate Consultant Juan Felipe Herrera kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with his inaugural reading.
September 21: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE, Poet/essayist, Jee Leong Koh, playwright/translator, Jeremy Tiang, and writer/editor, Frank Stewart, read from Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore as part of MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing’sseries of contemporary literature from Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas.
September 24: TRIBUTE TO PHILIP LEVINE, An event to honor the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, who passed away in February. Participants included Kate Daniels, Toi Derricotte, Edward Hirsch, Yusef Komunyakaa, Dorianne Laux, Mari L’Esperance, Paul Mariani, Jane Mead, Tomás Q. Morín, Sharon Olds, Tom Sleigh, Gerald Stern, and David St. John. The event also featured the 21st Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, Juan Felipe Herrera. Co-sponsored by Academy of American Poets; Cave Canem Foundation; Cooper Union; NYU Creative Writing Program; Penguin Random House; Poets House; Poetry Society of America; Queens College; Unterberg Poetry Center, 92nd Street Y.
September 29: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: SWEDISH LITERATURE, Editors and translators Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellerström read in English and Swedish from their new book The Star By My Head: Poets from Sweden. Co-sponsored by Library of Congress European Division and presented in partnership with Chapters Literary Arts Center, SWEA Washington, D.C., Milkweed Editions, Kulturrådet, Swedish Arts Council.
October 7: NATIONAL POETRY DAY READING, 21st Poet Laureate Consultant Juan Felipe Herrera gave Poetry Foundation’s 61st annual Poetry Day. Inaugurated by Robert Frost in 1955, Poetry Day is one of the oldest and most distinguished poetry reading series in the country. Co-sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and the Chicago Public Library.
October 8: THE LIFE OF A POET: BRIAN TURNER, Poet, essayist, and professor Brian Turner discussed his work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center and the Washington Post.
October 16: CONCERT & CONVERSATION CELEBRATING ROBERT LOWELL, Celebrated composer Michael Hersch introduced ATOS Trio who performed the world premiere of his “Carrion-Miles to Purgatory: Thirteen Pieces After Robert Lowell,” a commission from the Library's Hansk Kindler Foundation Trust Fund. Hersch also discussed intersections between Lowell’s creativity and psychological challenges with renowned psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Music Division.
October 17: TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL: CONVERSATION ON POETRY, Chief Correspondent for Arts, Culture, and Society of the PBS NewsHour Jeffrey Brown discussed his book, The News: Poems, with Robert Casper, head of Poetry and Literature Center, Library of Congress.
October 30: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: EZRA POUND, Poets Elizabeth Arnold and Charles Bernstein celebrated the birthday of poet Ezra Pound by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
November 4: THE LIFE OF A POET: ALICE FULTON, Bobbitt Prize winner, Alice Fulton discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center and the Washington Post.
November 5: INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT, Program residents Nael Eltoukhy (Egypt), Harris Khalique (Pakistan), Birgül Oğuz (Turkey), and Margarita Mateo Palmer (Cuba) read selections of their work and participate in a moderated discussion with Christopher Merrill, director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. Presented in partnership with the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
November 6: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: ANAS ATAKORA, Togolese writer Anas Atakora read selections from his work and participate in a moderated discussion with Marieta Harper, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
November 12: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: VIET THANH NGUYEN, Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen read from his new novel, The Sympathizer, and participated in a moderated discussion with Mimi Khúc, Asian American Studies Program faculty at the University of Maryland." Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; The Asian American Literary Review; and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland.
November 19: 5 UNDER 35 CELEBRATION, The launch of an annual series with the National Book Foundation, featuring 5 Under 35 honorees for 2015. 3:00 p.m.: Colin Barrett, Angela Flournoy, Megan Kruse, Tracy O’Neill, and Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi participated in moderated discussion with Benjamin Samuel, programs manager at National Book Foundation. 6:30 p.m.: Honorees read selections of their winning novels. Book sales and signing to follow.
November 24: MAKING THE CASE: CRITICS ON LITERATURE, The launch of a new series with the National Book Critics Circle, poet and critic Stephen Burt gave a lecture titled “The Poem Is You.” Presented in partnership with the National Book Critics Circle.
December 2: TEENS AND POETRY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, Poets Jennifer Chang and Mark McMorris read selections of Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation along with co-editor Lynn Melnick and Viking Children’s Books Senior Editor, Sharyn November.
December 3: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: DANTE SYMPOSIUM, To highlight Library of Congress’ Dante Alighieri collections, scholars Francesco Ciabattoni, Kristina Marie Olson, Bernardo Piciché, and Eugenio Refini participate in a discussion moderated by Lucia Alma Wolf, reference librarian in the Library’s European Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress European Division, John W. Kluge Center, and Rare Book and Special Collection Division. Presented in partnership with Georgetown University Department of Italian, George Mason University Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Virginia Commonwealth University School of World Studies, Johns Hopkins Department of German & Romance Languages & Literatures, and Bucknell University Press.
December 3: WITTER BYNNER STATE READING WITH EMILY FRAGOS, Witter Bynner fellow Emily Fragos reads a selection of her work followed by a conversation with poet KC Trommer. Presented in partnership with Library of Congress Center for the Book, New York Empire State Center for the Book, NYU Bookstore, and NYU Gallatin Writing Program.
December 4: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: RACHEL ZUCKER, As part of the ongoing series, poet and memoirist Rachel Zucker gave a lecture on poetry.
February 8: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: ELIZABETH BISHOP, Poets Jennifer Atkinson and Vijay Seshadri celebrated the birthday of poet Elizabeth Bishop by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
February 9-10: POETRY FOUNDATION RESIDENCY (Chicago, IL), 21st Poet Laureate Consultant Juan Felipe Herrera shared his laureate project, Casa de Colores, and conduct workshops with local elementary, middle, and high school students. Co-sponsored by the Poetry Foundation.
February 11: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: RAÚL ZURITA, Chilean poet Raúl Zurita and his translator, Anna Deeny Morales gave a bilingual reading of Zurita’s work, followed by a moderated discussion with Georgette Dorn, chief of the Hispanic Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.
March 2: LIFE OF A POET: DUNYA MIKHAIL, Poet, translator, and journalist Dunya Mikhail discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, Split This Rock, and the Washington Post.
March 8: CELEBRATING “ONE LIFE: DOLORES HUERTA,” To celebrate the landmark exhibition “One Life: Dolores Huerta,” 21st Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Juan Felipe Herrera and poets Arlene Biala and Diana García read work in response to the exhibition. Co-sponsored by Letras Latinas, literary initiative at the University of Notre Dame's Institute for Latino Studies, Library of Congress Hispanic Division, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian Latino Center.
March 9: WITTER BYNNER FELLOWSHIP READING, Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera introduced the 2016 Witter Bynner Fellow, Allison Hedge Coke, who read selections of her work. Co-sponsored by the Witter Bynner Foundation.
March 14: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: NAMWALI SERPELL, Zambian author and 2015 Caine Prize winner Namwali Serpell read from her prize-winning short story “The Sack” and participated in a moderated discussion with LaVerne Page, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, and The Caine Prize for African Writing.
March 25: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: FLANNERY O’CONNOR, Novelists Bonnie Jo Campbell and Emily Mitchell celebrated the birthday of American writer Flannery O’Connor by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing. Co-sponsored by the Prints and Photographs Division.
April 6: WEBINAR: LAURELS AND LYRICS: POETRY RESOURCES AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, For National Poetry Month, research specialist Peter Armenti provided a tour of the rich and varied poetry resources available on our website. This program introduced participants to specific poetry resources—including online initiatives launched by U.S. Poets Laureate, exhibits on famous poets, poetry webcasts and recordings, and, of course, poems themselves—while also offering search tips and strategies you can use to delve more deeply into the Library’s online poetry content.
April 7: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: R. ZAMORA LINMARK, Novelist, poet and playwright, R. Zamora Linmark read excerpts of his work, and participated in a discussion with Gem Daus, adjunct faculty in the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; The Asian American Literary Review; and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland.
April 13: POET LAUREATE CLOSING EVENT, 21st Poet Laureate Consultant Juan Felipe Herrera celebrated the conclusion of his term of his laureateship. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.
April 15: CLARICE LISPECTOR: A CONVERSATION WITH BENJAMIN MOSER, Benjamin Moser discussed his newly published collection, “The Complete Stories: Clarice Lispector,” the first comprehensive English translation of Lispector’s short stories. He was joined by Professor Vivaldo Santos (Georgetown University) to discuss Lispector’s life and work. Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Division and presented in partnership with the Embassy of Brazil.
April 28: WEBINAR: LISTENING IN: EXPLORING LITERARY AUDIO ARCHIVES AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, In honor of National Poetry Month, Catalina Gómez of the Hispanic Division explored the history of the Library of Congress’s literary audio archives. Curated since 1943 at the Library, these archives consist of audio recordings of prominent contemporary poets and prose writers reading from their work. The Archive of Hispanic Literature on Tape (AHLOT) includes poets and prose writers from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America; and the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature (ARPL) is comprised of American poets and prose writers, though some international writers are also included in the collection. Online versions of both archives were launched in 2015. Gómez discussed the process of digitizing the archives and share several of her favorite recordings, in English and Spanish, with listeners.
April 28: WITTER BYNNER STATE READING WITH ALLISON HEDGE COKE (Oklahoma City, OK), Witter Bynner fellow Allison Hedge Coke read a selection of her work. Presented in partnership with Library of Congress Center for the Book, The Red Earth MFA at Oklahoma City University, and the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
May 2: MAKING THE CASE: CRITICS ON LITERATURE, Critic and Literary Editor at Large of the Chicago Tribune, Elizabeth Taylor gave a lecture discussing trends in contemporary American fiction. Presented in partnership with the National Book Critics Circle.
May 10:
SPOTLIGHT ON NATIVE WRITERS, Writers Eric Gansworth, Linda LeGarde Grover, and Stephen Graham Jones, discussed contemporary Native fiction with a reading /panel moderated by Deborah Miranda. Co-sponsored by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
May 12: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: URUGUAYAN LITERATURE, Poet and translator Jesse Lee Kercheval read selections of Idea Vilariño’s poetry featured in Poet Lore Magazine’s spring 2016 issue; as well as translations of several noteworthy Uruguayan female poets. Idea Vilariño (1920-2009) was a poet, essayist/literary critic, and one of Uruguay’s most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division and Poet Lore Magazine.
May 13: THE LITERARY LEGACY OF ÁLVARO MUTIS, Charlotte Rogers (University of Virginia) discussed the work and legacy of Álvaro Mutis, one of Colombia’s most prominent poets and prose writers, author of the acclaimed compendium Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll. Co-sponsored by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress.
May 19: LIFE OF A POET: MARY JO BANG, Poet Mary Jo Bang discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center and the Washington Post.
June 13: FROM THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT TO CAVE CANEM, To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Black Arts Movement and the 20th anniversary of Cave Canem, a day-long symposium featuring two panels and a Master Class in children’s literature. This event is co-sponsored by the Folger Shakespeare Library’s O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, PEN/Faulkner Foundation, We Need Diverse Books, and Cave Canem Foundation.
Literary Season 2014-2015
August 31: DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL’S “WHERE POETRY LIVES” FEATURE, 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Natasha Trethewey and Senior PBS NewsHour Correspondent Jeffrey Brown participated in a discussion about Trethewey’s signature project, “Where Poetry Lives.”
September 4: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: JOSHUA BECKMAN, poet and Wave Books editor Joshua Beckman presented a lecture on poetry.
September 11: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: OKINAWAN LITERATURE, writer/editor Frank Stewart and scholar/translator Katsunori Yamazato read from the MANOA special feature “Living Spirit: Literature and Resurgence in Okinawa” and participated in a moderated discussion with poet Brenda Shaughnessy. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Asian Division and presented in partnership with MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing.
September 15: MAUREEN CORRIGAN ON THE GREAT GATSBY, NPR’s Fresh Air book critic Maureen Corrigan discussed her new book, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Humanities and Social Sciences Division.
September 17: THE LIFE OF A POET: MARY SZYBIST, National Book Award winner Mary Szybist discussed her poetry with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center and the Washington Post. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
September 19: NATIONAL STUDENT POET INAUGURAL READING, in celebration of the National Student Poets Program, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets creating original work, and the inaugural reading of the 2014 class. Presented in partnership with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
September 25: POET LAUREATE INAUGURAL READING, Charles Wright presented his inaugural reading as the 20th Poet Laureate Consultant to the Library of Congress.
October 2: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: WALLACE STEVENS, poets Jennifer Michael Hecht and Peter Streckfus celebrated the birthday of poet Wallace Stevens by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing. This event featured a display from the Library’s collections. Co-sponsored by the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
October 7: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: TRANSLATING THE POETRY OF ROBERT PINSKY, 9th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Robert Pinsky read and discussed the translation of his poems into Spanish for his bilingual book Ginza Samba: Selected Poems, with translator Luis Alberto Ambroggio. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division.
October 14: LECTURE: DANA GIOIA ON “POETRY AS ENCHANTMENT”, Dana Gioia, poet, essayist, and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, discussed the relationship between poetry and music and explored the ways in which poetry achieves its special expressive power.
October 14: WITTER BYNNER STATE READING WITH HONORÉE FANONNE JEFFERS, Witter Bynner fellow Honorée Fanonne Jeffers discussed Phillis Wheatley and reads from The Age of Phillis, her new book on the 18th century poet. Co-sponsored by the Center for the Book and the Oklahoma Center for the Book. Goddard Art Center, 401 1st Ave SW Ardmore, OK
October 17: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: VERONIQUE TADJO, Côte d'Ivoirean writer Veronique Tadjo read selections from her work and participated in a moderated discussion with Marieta Harper, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
October 25: TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL: A CONVERSATION ON POETRY, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Texas state Poet Laureate Dean Young discussed favorite poems with Poetry and Literature Center Head Robert Casper. Capitol Auditorium Room E1.004, Texas State Capitol Extension, 1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
October 30: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: YIYUN LI, MacArthur “Genius” fellow Yiyun Li read from her work and discuss the state of Asian American literature. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; The Asian American Literary Review; and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland.
November 4: THE LIFE OF A POET: AUGUST KLEINZAHLER, National Book Critics Circle Award winner August Kleinzahler discussed his poetry with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
November 6: INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM SHOWCASE, this afternoon-long event featured 2014 residents of the famed program, which since 1967 has brought over 1,400 writers from more than 130 countries to America. Selected residents participated in readings/moderated discussions, organized according to the Library’s Area Studies Divisions. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic, African and Middle Eastern, Asian, and European Divisions; and 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.
December 8: EMILY DICKINSON DAY & EVENING, this events celebrated the poet's 184th birthday. The public was invited to participate in the "Emily Dickinson Birthday Marathon Reading, Presented in partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library.
December 11: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: TIMOTHY DONNELLY, as part of the ongoing series, Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winner Timothy Donnelly gave a lecture on poetry.
January 7: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: ZORA NEALE HURSTON, novelists Dolen Perkins-Valdez and Marita Golden celebrated the birthday of American writer Zora Neale Hurston by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing. This event featured a display from the Library’s collections. Co-sponsored by the Library’s American Folklife Center.
January 18: MEMORIAL FOR MARK STRAND, this event honored the third Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, who passed away in November. Participants included Poets Laureate Charles Simic and Charles Wright, actor Mary Louise Parker, painter William H. Bailey, composer and pianist John Musto, playwright John Guare and novelist Francine Prose, and others. Strand's family also participated. Co-sponsored by the Academy of American Poets; The Writing Program of the Columbia University School of the Arts; Alfred A. Knopf; 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center; the Poetry Foundation; the Poetry Society of America; Poets & Writers; and Poets House. Academy of American Arts and Letters, New York, NY.
January 22: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: TERRANCE HAYES, as part of the ongoing series, National Book Award winner Terrance Hayes presented a lecture on poetry.
February 3: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: CHINELO OKPARANTA, Nigerian-American writer Chinelo Okparanta read selections from her work and participated in a moderated discussion with Angel Batiste, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
February 10-11: WHAT IS LOVE? ROMANCE FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE, this two-day international, multimedia conference featured presentations, panels, film screenings, and interactive conversations. Sponsored by the Library of Congress Center for the Book, in partnership with Harlequin.
February 17: BOBIT PRIZE READING (rescheduled to April 6)
February 19: THE LIFE OF A POET: FRANK BIDART, National Book Critics Circle Award winner Frank Bidart will discussed his poetry with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
March 3: POETRY AND LITERACY SYMPOSIUM, the Poetry and Literature Center presented a series of panels exploring the connections between poetry and literacy, featuring Terry M. Blackhawk (InsideOut Literary Arts Project), Amy Swauger (Teachers & Writers Collaborative), and Robin Reagler (Writers in the Schools), Roland Legiardi-Laura (Power Poetry), Tara Libert (Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop), Aaron Zimmerman (New York Writers Coalition), Joe Callahan (826 DC), Robert Polito (Poetry Foundation), and Amy Stolls (National Endowment of the Arts).
March 4: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: RICHARD ZENITH ON FERNANDO PESSOA, literary critic and translator Richard Zenith delivered a talk titled "Fernando Pessoa: An Englishly Portuguese, Endlessly Multiple Poet." There was an accompanying exhibit on Pessoa presented in the Great Hall of the Library's Thomas Jefferson Building. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division and presented in partnership with the Embassy of Portugal and the Secretary of Culture of Portugal.
March 12: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: CHRISTIAN JUNGERSEN, Danish writer Christian Jungersen read and discussed his novel, You Disappear, with European Reference Librarian Taru Spiegel. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress European Division, and presented in partnership with the Royal Danish Embassy.
March 12: WITTER BYNNER FELLOWSHIP READING, poet Laureate Charles Wright introduced the 2015 Witter Bynner Fellows, Emily Fragos and Bobby C. Rogers, and they read selections from their work.
March 14-15: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: IBERIAN SUITE LITERARY PANELS, as part of the Kennedy Center's "Iberian Suite: Global Arts Remix" festival, celebrating the arts of all Spanish- and Portuguese-language cultures, a weekend series of six panels was presented offering an array of literary voices, reaching from Spain and Portugal to many Latin American countries, as well as Africa and the Caribbean.The series was curated by Library of Congress Senior Consultant Marie Arana, and highlighted rare Library of Congress recordings of literary voices from the past. Presented by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in cooperation with the governments of Portugal and Spain. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC
March 27: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: JENNY ERPENBECK, German novelist Jenny Erpenbeck read from her work and participated in a moderated discussion with David Morris, German Area Specialist in the European Division. Co-sponsored by the Library’s European Division and presented in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Washington and New Directions Publishing Corp.
April 6: BOBBITT PRIZE READING, Patricia Smith, winner of the 13th Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, read selections from her poetry collection Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah.
April 11: AWP CONFERENCE READING: LINDA HOGAN, ERIC PANKEY, AND MARY SZYBIST, Twin Cities publishers Coffee House Press, Graywolf Press, and Milkweed Editions presented a reading with poets Linda Hogan, Eric Pankey, and Mary Szybist, followed by a moderated conversation with Poetry and Literature Center Head Robert Casper. Main Auditorium, Level 1, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN
April 15: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: NEW LITHUANIAN POETS, poets Ilzė Butkutė, Giedrė Kazlauskaitė, and Marius Burokas celebrated the publication of How the Earth Carries Us: Twenty-Six Young Lithuanian Poets by reading from their work and participating in a moderated discussion with poet and professor Rimas Uzgiris. Co-sponsored by the Library’s European Division and presented in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Culture Institute (Vilnius).
April 17: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: OKWIRI ODUOR, Kenyan author Okwiri Oduor, winner of the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing, will read from her prize-winning short story “My Father’s Head” and participate in a moderated discussion with Eve Ferguson, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
April 30: IN CONCLUSION: A POETS LAUREATE CONVERSATION, Charles Wright and 15th Poet Laureate Consultant Charles Simic will participate in a moderated discussion with Poetry magazine editor Don Share to conclude Wright’s term as 20th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry and the spring literary season at the Library of Congress. Presented in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.
May 4: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: AALR A LETTRES FELLOWSHIP READING, AALR A Lettres Fellows Cathy Linh Che, Eugenia Leigh, R.A. Villanueva, and Ocean Vuong will read from their work and discuss the state of Asian American literature. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; The Asian American Literary Review; and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland.
May 6: LITERATURE IN CONVERSATION: TIM Z. HERNÁNDEZ, author and performance artist Tim Z. Hernández read and discussed his poetry and fiction with Letras Latinas Director Francisco Aragón. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Hispanic Division and presented in partnership with Letras Latinas, the literary program of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Arizona Press.
May 13: THE LIFE OF A POET: MARY RUEFLE, poet and essayist Mary Ruefle discussed her work with Ron Charles, editor of The Washington Post's Book World. Co-sponsored by the Hill Center and The Washington Post. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
May 21: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: OKEY NDIBE, Nigerian-born professor of literature Okey Ndibe read selections from his new novel Foreign Gods, Inc. and participated in a moderated discussion with Dr. Angel Batiste, Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
June 3: PACIFIC ISLANDER LITERARY SPOTLIGHT, Pacific Islander poets Brandy Nālani McDougall, Craig Santos Perez, and Lyz Soto read from their work and participated in a moderated discussion with Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis, founding director and co-editor-in-chief of The Asian American Literary Review. Presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; Ala Press; The Asian American Literary Review; and the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland.
June 18: LGBT LITERARY CELEBRATION, the second annual celebration of LGBT literature, featuring LGBT publishers, Stathis Orphanos of Sylvester & Orphanos, on the Library’s Christopher Isherwood Collection, Bryan Borland of Sibling Rivalry Press, Jennifer Joseph of Manic D Press, and Lisa C. Moore of RedBone Press, William Johnson, Managing Editor and Mary Literary Editor.
June 19: BLACK LITERATURE AND LITERACY: THE STATE OF BLACK LITERATURE, as part of a day-long symposium to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Juneteenth observance holiday, a panel featuring Haki Madhubuti, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Yanick Rice-Lamb. Co-sponsored by the African and Middle Eastern Division and the Humanities and Social Sciences Division of the Library of Congress; and presented in partnership with Juneteenth Book Festival, Inc.
July 6: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: LEMN SISSAY, Ethiopian poet Lemn Sissay read selections from his work and participated in a moderated discussion with Fentahun Tiruneh, Reference Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division. Co-sponsored by the Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division, and presented in partnership with The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
Literary Season 2013-2014
September 12: "I DONE WHAT I COULD": OCCUPATIONAL POETRY IN THE PACIFIC NORHTWEST, with folklorist Jens Lund, of the Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission (Emeritus).
September 25: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: AMADOU KONÉ. Ivoirian author Amadou Koné will read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary West African literature, especially highlighting African languages and culture.
September 26: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: CONVERSATION WITH TOM CHRISTENSEN. Author, editor, and translator Tom Christensen will discuss his newest work, Landscape with Yellow Birds, a translation of the poetry of the late José Ángel Valente published this year by Archipelago Press.
September 30: DISTRICT OF LITERATURE FESTIVAL. A day-long celebration reflecting DC's literary past, present, and future, with readings and panel discussions. Presented in partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, with media support from Slate.
October 1: HILL CENTER SERIES: NICK FLYNN. Memoirist, playwright, and poet Nick Flynn will discuss his work with Ron Charles, the fiction editor of the Washington Post.
October 9: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: JOSÉ ANTONIO MAZZOTTI. Poet José Antonio Mazzotti will read from his poetry and discuss the current state of contemporary Latin American literature.
November 12: WITTER BYNNER STATE READING. Sharon Dolin, co-recipient of the Library of Congress’s 16th annual Witter Bynner Poetry Fellowship, will read in her home state, followed by moderated conversation with poet Kim Addonizio. Marquis Gallery, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park, New York, NY
November 14: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: ABDOURAHMAN WABERI. Djiboutian author Abdourahman Waberi will read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature, especially highlighting African languages and culture.
November 15: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: MARIANNE MOORE. Poets Mary Jo Salter and Robyn Schiff will celebrate the birthday of American poet Marianne Moore by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on her their own writing.
November 16: POETRY READING AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY: LINES IN LONG ARRAY CELEBRATION. Poets Eavan Boland, Geoffrey Brock, Jorie Graham, Nikki Giovanni, John Koethe, Yusef Komunyakaa, Paul Muldoon, Steve Scafidi, Jr., Michael Schmidt, Dave Smith, Tracy K. Smith, and C. D. Wright read to celebrate the publication of Lines in Long Array: A Civil War Commemoration.
November 21: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: JUAN GABRIEL VÁSQUEZ. Writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez will read from his work and participate in a moderated discussion on the current state of contemporary Latin American literature with translator Anne McLean, which will follow.
December 3: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: MUKOMA WA NGUGI. Kenyan-American writer Mukoma Wa Ngugi will read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature, especially highlighting African languages and culture
December 5: BAGLEY WRIGHT LECTURE SERIES: DOROTHEA LASKY. Dorothea Lasky, the inaugural Bagley Wright Lecturer on Poetry, will give a talk titled, "The Beast: How Poetry Makes Us Human."
December 7: CONVERSATION WITH THE POET LAUREATE AND ROSANNE CASH. Singer, songwriter, and author Rosanne Cash concludes her residence at the Library of Congress with a conversation with the Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey.
December 12: WITTER BYNNER STATE READING. Shara McCallum, co-recipient of the Library of Congress’s 16th annual Witter Bynner Poetry Fellowship, will read in her home state, followed by a moderated conversation. This Writers LIVE @ CLP-Main event is free and open to the public. International Poetry Reading Room (Second floor), Carnegie Library Main Branch, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
February 6: THE LIFE OF A POET: CARL PHILLIPS. As part of new series, The Washington Post Fiction Editor Ron Charles will conduct an in-depth interview with poet Carl Phillips. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
February 14: PINTURA / PALABRA: POETRY INSPIRED BY ART. Join Hispanic poets Brenda Cardenas and Valerie Martinez for a discussion of ekphrastic poetry.
February 20: LITERARY CONVERSATION WITH ADMIRAL JAMES G. STAVRIDIS. A moderated discussion with the Admiral, who served as the 15th Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and NATO's 16th Supreme Allied Commander Europe, about how literature has impacted his career and what purpose it might have for members of the military. Lincoln Hall Auditorium, Lincoln Hall, National Defense University.
March 19: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: PHILIP ROTH. Authors Sam Lipsyte and Howard Norman will celebrate the birthday of American novelist Philip Roth by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
March 20: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: TOPE FOLARIN. Nigerian author Tope Folarin, winner of the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing, will read selections from his short story “Miracle” and be interviewed by Angel Batiste, Africa Area Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division, on the body of his work and on African contemporary literature.
March 26: WITTER BYNNER FELLOWSHIP READING. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey introduces 2014 Witter Bynner Fellows Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and the late Jake Adam York. Jeffers will read her poetry, and Trethewey will read the work of York.
April 10: LATINO POETRY: PIVOTAL VOICES, ERA OF TRANSITION. Poet and critic Rigoberto Gonzalez will deliver a lecture titled "Latino Poetry: Pivotal Voices, Era of Transition".
April 18: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: ANDRÉS NEUMAN. Spanish-Argentinian writer Andrés Neuman will read and discuss his forthcoming novel, Talking to Ourselves. Book sales and a signing will follow.
April 22: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: VLADIMIR NABOKOV. Authors Dinaw Mengestu and Azar Nafisi will celebrate the birthday of Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
April 23: THE LIFE OF A POET: EDWARD HIRSCH. As part of new series, The Washington Post Fiction Editor Ron Charles will conduct an in-depth interview with poet Edward Hirsch. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
April 30: WEBINAR: BRINGING POETRY TO THE PUBLIC. For this webinar celebrating National Poetry Month, Rob Casper (Head, Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center) is joined by Michael Melia (PBS NewsHour Senior Broadcast Producer) and Craig Teicher (Director of Digital Operations at Publisher's Weekly and poetry critic for National Public Radio) in a conversation about how the news media promotes poetry.
April 30: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: BURMESE POETRY. A new series as part of Poet Lore's annual "World Poets in Translation" publication, featuring translator Christopher Merrill reading the poetry of revered exiled Burmese writer U Tin Moe as well as other contemporary Burmese poets and discussing the role of their poetry in a changing Burma.
May 7: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: PERSIAN MYSTICAL LITERATURE. A lecture series as part of the Library’s “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book” exhibition, Jessika Kenney and Dr. Fatemeh Keshavarz will discuss the intersection of poetry and music in Persian literature.
May 14: POET LAUREATE FINAL LECTURE. Natasha Trethewey will deliver her final lecture to conclude her second term as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry and the spring literary season at the Library of Congress.
May 21: ASIAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE TODAY: TARFIA FAIZULLAH. As part of APA Heritage Month, poet Tarfia Faizullah will present her debut collection of poems, Seam.
May 30: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: COUNTEE CULLEN. Poets Rowan Ricardo Phillips and Tim Seibles will celebrate the birthday of American poet Countee Cullen by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
June 3: LGBT POETRY CELEBRATION. As part of the week-long LGBT pride celebration in Washington, DC, the Library of Congress in hosting an inaugural event with readings by established and emerging gay and lesbian poets Joan Larkin, Kamilah Aisha Moon, D. A. Powell, and Dan Vera. The event will also feature a display of the Library's rare LGBT materials.
June 10: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS: ZAINAB HASSAN. Ms. Zainab Hassan is a Somali poet and a writer, and the Project Director of the National Library Initiative of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in Mogadishu. She will be interviewed by Eve Ferguson, the Reference Librarian for East Africa, in the African and Middle Eastern Division, on her writings and her poetry.
June 19: MOURNING EL DORADO: The Closing of the Amazonian Frontier in Contemporary South American Fiction. Scholar Charlotte Rogers, Kluge Fellow, discusses how literary works from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Guyana reinvent the myth of a fabulous city of gold, known as “El Dorado,” in today’s world, and how in the wake of deforestation and settlement in the Amazon river basin, current writers nostalgically mourn for a time when the region was seen as a place of potential wealth and opportunity.
Literary Season 2012-2013
September 13: POET LAUREATE INAUGURAL READING. Natasha Trethewey, the 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry of the Library of Congress, kicked off the Library’s literary season with a reading.
September 20: (Jackson, Mississippi) POET LAUREATE READING IN MISSISSIPPI. Natasha Trethewey, the 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry and Mississippi State Poet Laureate, read a selection from her poetry.
September 25: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. South African writer and Executive Head of the Cape Town Centre for the Book Mandla Matyumza read from his own work and discuss the state of contemporary South African literature & publishing, especially highlighting African languages and culture.
October 12: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE. Rolena Adorno, Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Literature at Yale University, delivered a keynote address titled “Aztects and Allegory: the Baroque in Colonial Mexico” as part of the University of Maryland symposium “Colonial Intersections: Reconsidering History, the Literary, and the Visual Archives.”
October 23: (New York City, NY) WITTER BYNNER STATE READING. L. S. Asekoff, co-recipient of the Library of Congress’s 15th annual Witter Bynner Poetry Fellowship, read in his home state. A moderated conversation with 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Philip Levine (who selected Asekoff for the fellowship) followed the reading.
November 5: 100 YEARS OF HEBREW POETRY. Poet and anthologist Peter Cole read from his poems and discuss the history of Hebrew poetry.
November 7: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. Kenyan storyteller and poet Anna Mwalagho read from her work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature.
November 9: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. Gambian author and poet Tijan Sallah will read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature.
November 29: (Los Angeles, CA) POETRY ALOUD. Natasha Trethewey, the 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, read a selection from her poetry.
December 6: INTERNATIONAL LITERTURE. Javier Cercas, novelist and Professor of Spanish Literature at the University of Girona in Spain, read from his work and discusses the state of contemporary Spanish literature.
December 7: BOOK TALK ABOUT MODERN POETRY. Pedro Serrano, poet and professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, read from his work and discusses the relationship between the Modernist poets T. S. Eliot and Octavio Paz.
December 7: (San Antonio, TX) WITTER BYNNER STATE READING. Sheila Black, co-recipient of the Library of Congress’s 15th annual Witter Bynner Poetry Fellowship, read in her home state.
December 17: INTERNATIONAL LITERTURE. University of Maryland Professor of Latin American Literature Sandra Cypess read selections from her critical study Uncivil Wars: Elena Garro, Octavio Paz, and the Battle for Cultural Memory in Mexico and discuss the impact of literature on Mexican cultural identity.
January 24: KLUGE CENTER RESIDENT SCHOLAR LECTURE. Library of Congress Kluge Fellow Lindsay Tuggle examined the Civil War narratives of Walt Whitman and Union surgeon John H. Brinton as alternative histories of war casualties: military and poetic, phantom and physical in a lecture titled: "The Afterlives of Specimens: Science and Mourning in Whitman's America."
January 24: BOBBITT PRIZE READING. Gerald Stern, winner of the 12th Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, read selections from his Early Collected Poems: 1965-1992.
January 30: POET LAUREATE CIVIL WAR READING. Natasha Trethewey, the 19th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, read historically focused poems in celebration of The Civil War in America exhibit at the Library of Congress.
February 22: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY. Poets Alicia Ostriker and Claudia Emerson will celebrate the birthday of American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing.
March 21: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. Ethiopian novelist Maaza Mengiste read from her work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature.
March 26: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: ROBERT FROST. Poets Dana Gioia and Eric Pankey celebrated the birthday of American poet Robert Frost by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
March 27: FELLOWSHIP OF SOUTHERN WRITERS CELEBRATION. An event that highlighted distinguished literary writers and writing from the South, hosted by Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry (and Mississippi Poet Laureate) Natasha Trethewey. Readers include Madison Smart Bell, Edward P. Jones, Jill McCorkle, Ron Rash, and Charles Wright.
April 2: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. Poet Omekongo Dibanga, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature.
April 2: WITTER BYNNER FELLOWSHIP READING. Poets Sharon Dolin and Shara McCallum were introduced by Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey as her selections for the Library's 2013 Witter Bynner Fellows. Both Dolin and McCallum celebrated their selection with a reading.
April 10: HILL CENTER POETRY SERIES. Poet, essayist, playwright and Yale University Professor Elizabeth Alexander discussed poetry with Ron Charles, book critic and editor for The Washington Post.
April 11: LITERATURE IN CONVERSATION. Authors Fred Arroyo and Maria Melendez read selections from their works. This event is free and open to the public. Book sales and a signing will follow.
April 16: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. The actors of the Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting will celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare with a performance of some of the Bard's most famous works.
April 21: POETRY READING AT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY: COME LISTEN ALL! Poets John Koethe, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Paul Muldoon read from their work to mark the close of the exhibition “Poetic Likeness: Modern American Poets” and anticipate the fall 2013 publication of Lines in Long Array. This book contains 12 newly commissioned poems on the Civil War by major contemporary poets.
April 24: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: ROBERT PENN WARREN. Poet Maurice Manning and author Alan Cheuse will celebrate the birthday of American writer Robert Penn Warren by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
May 1: NECESSARY UTTERANCE. As part of the “Necessary Utterance: Poetry as Cultural Force” event commemorating Natasha Trethewey’s historical year as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, poets Marilyn Chin, Brenda Shaughnessy, Patricia Smith, Brian Turner, and Kevin Young read from their work.
May 1: NECESSARY UTTERANCE. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry Natasha Trethewey delivered her final lecture, "Necessary Utterance: Poetry as Cultural Force," to close the spring literary season at the Library of Congress.
May 8: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS & WRITERS. Nigerian writer A. Igoni Barrett read from his work and discuss the state of contemporary African literature.
May 31: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: WALT WHITMAN. Poets Mark Doty and Sally Keith celebrated the birthday of American poet Walt Whitman by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
June 27: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR. Poets Holly Bass and Al Young will celebrate the birthday of American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
Literary Season 2011-2012
September 26-27: LITERATURA DE CORDEL: Continuity and Change in Brazilian Popular Literature.
September 30: Presentation of GABRIELA MISTRAL Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS with Gerardo Piña Rosales, poet Louis Alberto Ambroggio and writer Emilio Bernal Labrada.
September 30: (Providence, Rhode Island) POETRY ON THE PAGE: A READING BY FORREST GANDER.
October 4: PANEL DISCUSSSION: FRONTERA SIN FRONTERA featuring translator Jeannette Clariond, translator and poet Mónica de la Torre, scholar Rafael Pérez-Torres, and poet Pedro Serrano, and moderated by poet Luis Alberto Ambroggio.
October 7: POST-INDEPENDENCE AFRICAN LITERATURE: with noted scholar and political writer Ali Mazrui discusses the state of contemporary African culture, including poetry and literature.
October 12: CONTEMPORARY POETRY FROM CHINA: A READING AND DISCUSSION, with Chinese poets Xi Chuan and Zhou Zan join Michael Wiegers, executive editor of Copper Canyon Press and special guest Carolyn Forché, for a reading and discussion on the forthcoming anthology Push Open the Window: Contemporary Poetry from China.
October 17: POET LAUREATE READING with Philip Levine, the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress.
October 24: ASIAN-AMERICAN POETRY TODAY: with Filipino-American poet Eileen Tabios reads from her work, followed by a moderated discussion.
October 25: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: JOHN BERRYMAN, with poets Mary Jo Bang and Michael Collier celebrate the birthday of American poet John Berryman by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
November 15: (Seattle, Washington) Robert Bringhurst, recipient of the Library of Congress’s 14th annual Witter Bynner Poetry Fellowship, reads his poetry.
November 16: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS: SUSAN KIGULI. To celebrate the African Studies Association Annual meeting, Ugandan poet and ASA Presidential Fellow Susan Kiguli reads her own work, with a moderated discussion to follow.
November 29: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, with authors Jo Ann Beard and Maud Casey celebrate the birthday of American author Louisa May Alcott by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing.
December 15: KLUGE CENTER RESIDENT SCHOLAR LECTURE, with Bavarian Fellow Sascha Pöhlmann will present a talk on “Walt Whitman’s Future-Founding Poetry.”
December 20: KLUGE CENTER RESIDENT SCHOLAR LECTURE, with Black Mountain Fellow Kelle Groom will present a talk on “The Quiet People (Hiljainen Kansa): A Memoir.”
January 27: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: ODYSSEAS ELYTIS AND THE HISPANIC WORLD, with Pedro Serrano, Mexican translator, poet, and critic, joins Dominican poet and critic Rei Berroa in a discussion of the influence of Nobel Laureate Odysseas Elytis on Hispanic poetry and culture.
February 1: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: LANGSTON HUGHES, with poets Dolores Kendrick and Evie Shockley celebrate the birthday of American poet Langston Hughes by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
February 3: (Andrews Base Library, Maryland) PIZZA AND POETRY, with Jehanne Dubrow reads and discusses Stateside, which lyrically details the experiences of a military wife.
February 23: (Los Angeles, California) POET LAUREATE READING, with Philip Levine, the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, will read a selection from his poetry.
March 1: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: RALPH ELLISON, with writers Danielle Evans and Jabari Asim celebrate the birthday of American author Ralph Ellison by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
March 16: LECTURE: THE FAULKNER AND HEMINGWAY LITERARY RIVALRY, with scholar Joseph Fruscione discusses the literary rivalry of the great American authors Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.
March 20: (Georgetown University) LATINO/A POETRY NOW: William Archila and Ruth Irupé Sanabria. As part of a national tour celebrating emerging Latina/o poets, this event will feature the first and second place winners of the 2010 International Latino Book Awards.
March 26: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, with William Jay Smith, former Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, reads from his memoir My Friend Tom about American playwright Tennessee Williams, on Williams’ birthday.
April 3: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS, with South African poet and political activist Keorapetse Kgositsile discusses the state of contemporary African culture, including poetry and literature.
April 4: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS, with writer and journalist Donato Ndongo, from Equatorial Guinea, will read from his novel Shadows of Your Black Memory.
April 5: WITTER BYNNER READING, with Philip Levine, the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry will introduce L. S. Asekoff and Sheila Black as this year’s winners of the Library of Congress’s Witter Bynner Fellowship.
April 13: ASIAN-AMERICAN POETRY TODAY: GARRETT HONGO, with Japanese-American poet Garrett Hongo reads his work, followed by a moderated discussion. This event is free and open to the public.
April 18: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. The actors of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Academy for Classical Acting at the George Washington University celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare with a recitation of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
April 23: RIVER OF WORDS AWARDS CEREMONY. River of Words awards ceremony for winners and finalists of the 2010-2011 environmental poetry and art contest for young people. Hosted by Robert Hass, U.S. Poet Laureate 1995-1997.
April 26: BOOKS AND BEYOND: THE OTHER [email protected] As part of the Books and Beyond series, Letras Latinas Director Francisco Aragón will moderate a noontime panel in the Pickford Theater featuring poet Blas Falconer and writer Lorraine López, co-editors of the recent anthology The Other [email protected]: Writing Against a Singular Identity, who will discuss the contemporary state of Latino literature.
April 26: LITERATURE IN CONVERSATION: BLAS FALCONER AND LORRAINE LÓPEZ, with authors Blas Falconer and Lorraine López will read selections from their works.
May 1: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICAN POETS AND WRITERS, with award-winning Nigerian author Helon Habila will read from his novel “Oil on Water” and discuss the anthology “The Granta Book of the African Short Story.”
May 2: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD. Norwegian novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard reads selections from his novel "My Struggle: Book One" and discusses the state of contemporary Norwegian literature.
May 3: POET LAUREATE FINAL EVENT. Philip Levine, the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, will conclude the Library’s literary spring season.
May 4: POET LAUREATE VIDEO CONFERENCE. Philip Levine, the 18th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, will connect with high schools and public libraries via video conference to read and discuss three of his poems: “Our Valley,” “The Simple Truth,” and “What Work Is.”
May 9: (US Naval Observatory, Washington, DC) POETRY AND THE STARS. Poet Elizabeth Arnold will read from her own work as well as favorite poems with astronomical themes. A moderated discussion will follow.
May 15: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: HERTA MÜLLER READING. Nobel Laureate Herta Müller will read from her work, followed by a conversation with Georgetown University Professor Peter Pfeiffer.
May 31: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: WALT WHITMAN. Poets Joshua Beckman and Stanley Plumly celebrate the birthday of American poet Walt Whitman by reading selections from his work and discussing his influence on their own writing.
June 7: LITERARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: GWENDOLYN BROOKS, poets Kyle Dargan and Janice Harrington celebrate the birthday of American poet Gwendolyn Brooks by reading selections from her work and discussing her influence on their own writing.
June 13: INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE: LÁSZLÓ KRASZNAHORKAI READING, with Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai will read from his recently translated novel, Sátántangó, and discuss the state of contemporary Hungarian literature.
Literary Season 2010-2011
October 7, 2010: Celebration of the publication of The Poets Laureate Anthology, featuring former Poets Laureate Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Daniel Hoffman, Maxine Kunin, Kay Ryan, Charles Simic and Mark Strand.
October 25, 2010: Inaugural reading of Poet Laureate W. S. Merwin.
November 16, 2010: David Gewanter, Carol V. Davis, and Joseph Ross.
December 7, 2010: Lucille Lang Day, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, and Mary-Sherman Willis.
December 13, 2010: Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize: Lucia Perillo.
February 15, 2011: Alabama Poet Laureate Sue Brannan Walker, Michael Salcman and Michele Wolf.
March 15, 2011: Janee Baugher, Sarah Crossland and Elisavietta Ritchie.
March 23, 2011: C. D. Wright and David Wagoner.
April 19, 2011: Professional actors presented scenes and sonnets from Shakespeare in honor of the Bard’s birthday.
April 21, 2011: Witter-Bynner fellows: Forrest Gander and Robert Bringhurst.
May 4, 2011: Concluding reading of Poet Laureate W. S. Merwin.
May 24, 2011: Jody Bolz, Tom Healy, and Anne Harding Woodworth.
August 9, 2011: Sally Wolff of Emory University discussed her book, "Ledgers of History: William Faulkner, an Almost Forgotten Friendship, and an Antebellum Plantation Diary."
Literary Season 2009-2010
September 22, 2009: Sue Ellen Thompson, Barbara Crooker and Joseph Ross.
October 21, 2009: Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
October 22, 2009: Open House with Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
November 12, 2009: Tony Hoagland and Lucia Perillo.
February 18, 2010: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Jill McDonough and Atsuro Riley.
March 12, 2010: Heddy Reid and Margaret Mackinnon.
March 18, 2010: Albert Goldbarth and Eleanor Wilner.
March 23, 2010: A sampling of poems about Washington, DC, written over the past 60 years, was read by five poets who are included in a new anthology, "Full Moon on K Street," which is edited by Kim Roberts.
April 20, 2010: Actors from the Academy of Classical Acting at The George Washington University recited monologues and act out scenes for the "Shakespeare's Birthday Reading."
May 20, 2010: Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
Literary Season 2008-2009
September 22, 2008: Contemporary Poetry from Northern Ireland co-sponsored by the NEA and Wake Forest University: Sue Ellen Thompson, Barbara Crooker and Joseph Ross.
October 2, 2008: Sinéad Morrissey and Chris Agee.
October 16, 2008: Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
October 23, 2008: Jane Shore and Dabney Stuart.
November 18, 2008: Kentucky State Poet Laureate Jane Gentry Vance, Tony Crunk, Maurice Manning and Davis McCombs.
November 20, 2008: James Longenbach.
December 9, 2008: Indiana State Poet Laureate Norbert Krapf, former Indiana State Poet Laureate Joyce Brinkman, Ruthelen Burns and Joseph Heithaus.
February 10, 2009: Edwin Zimmerman, Kristi Berkey-Abbott and Judith Offer.
February 23-25, 2009: Symposium on Scottish poet "Robert Burns at 250," sponsored by the American Folklife Center, the government of Scotland, the PLC and the Center for the Book. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan and PLC head Patricia Gray served on an afternoon discussion panel.
February 26, 2009: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Mary Szybist and Christina Davis.
March 10, 2009: Daniel Mark Epstein.
April 2, 2009: Brigit Pegeen Kelly and J.D. McClatchy.
April 7, 2009: Twenty-eight award-winning alumni of the Poetry at Noon series.
April 17, 2009: David Huerta.
April 17, 2009: Poetry Marathon featuring poets from Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean.
April 21, 2009: Shakespeare birthday celebration with readings by classical Shakspearean actors and members of the audience.
April 28, 2009: Ellen Bass.
May 7, 2009: Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
June 4, 2009: Aaron Taub.
Literary Season 2007-2008
October 9, 2007: Adele Steiner, Willa Schneberg and Nin Andrews.
October 18, 2007: Poet Laureate Charles Simic.
October 31, 2007: Bobbitt Prize: W.S. Merwin.
November 8, 2007: Stephen Dunn, Peter Klappert and Kathy Mangan.
December 4, 2007: South Carolina State Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth, John Lane, Susan Meyers and Carol Ann Davis.
December 6, 2007: James Tate and Jorie Graham.
February 7, 2008: Li-Young Lee and David Kirby.
February 12, 2008: E. Ethelbert Miller, Sally Bliumis-Dunn and Ben Morris.
March 6, 2008: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Matthew Thorburn and Monica Youn.
March 11, 2008: Mary Buchinger, James L. Foy and Sheppard Ranborn.
March 18, 2008: Jody Bolz, Dan Logan and Preston Pulliam.
March 27, 2008: Rodney Jones and Ellen Bryant Voigt.
April 7, 2008: Evening of Russian Poetry co-sponsored by the NEA: Evgeny Bunimovich, Elena Fanailova and Yuli Gugolev.
April 11, 2008: An afternoon of Spanish poetry featuring poets from Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean.
April 17, 2008: Readings by anyone with a published poem (not your own).
April 22, 2008: Readings in honor of Shakespeare's birthday.
April 24, 2008: Former Poet Laureate Mark Strand and Charles Wright.
April 28, 2008: Bobbitt Prize: Bob Hicok and Charles Wright.
May 8, 2008: Poet Laureate Charles Simic.
Literary Season 2006-2007
September 20, 2006: Oscar Hijuelos and Lori Marie Carlson.
September 22, 2006: Odón Betanzos Palacios, Tino Villanueva, Naomi Ayala and Maricel Mayor Marsán.
October 3, 2006: Poet Laureate Donald Hall.
October 10, 2006: Michael Davis, Kay Lindsay, Larry Johnson and John O'Dell.
October 12, 2006: Galway Kinnell and David Tucker.
October 19, 2006: Small Nations Poetry Event
October 26, 2006: Jack Gilbert and Miranda Field.
November 9, 2006: Former Poet Laureate Maxine Kumin and Wesley McNair.
November 14, 2006: Bernadette Geyer, Carly Sachs and Marcela Sulak.
December 5, 2006: Roselyn Y. Cole, Kay Day and Dorothy Fletcher.
December 7, 2006: Henri Cole, Liam Rector and Judith Harris.
January 26, 2007: Clayton Eshleman.
February 13, 2007: Asian love poems.
March 13, 2007: Linda Annas Ferguson and Jeanne Murray Walker.
March 29, 2007: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Laurie Lamon and David Tucker.
May 10, 2007: Poet Laureate Donald Hall and Poet Laureate of the UK Andrew Motion.
May 15, 2007: Joy Gonsalves, Mary Elizabeth Murphy and Jean Nordhaus.
May 17, 2007: Coleman Barks and Robert Bly.
May 24, 2007: Dolores Kendrick and Philip Levine.
Literary Season 2005-2006
September 27, 2005: Kwame Alexander, Patricia Clark and Kim Roberts.
October 13, 2005: Poet Laureate Ted Kooser.
October 20, 2005: Carter Revard and Edward Weismuller.
October 25, 2005: Poetry at Noon.
November 3, 2005: Louisiana State Poet Laureate Brenda Osbey.
November 10, 2005: George Garrett.
November 15, 2005: Patricia Gray and David Kresh.
December 6, 2005: Sandra Beasley, Cliff Bernier, Karen Kevorkian, Lyn Lifshin, Mary-Sherman Willis and Katherine E. Young.
February 14, 2006: Marjory Wentworth, Rosemary Winslow, Marcella Wolfe-Gervais and Dominic W. Holt.
Feburary 16, 2006: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Joseph Stroud and Connie Wanek.
March 15, 2006: Grace Cavalieri and Susan Thomas.
April 19, 2006: Shakespeare's Birthday Reading: Graduates of The Shakespeare Theater's Academy of Classical Acting at The George Washington University.
April 27, 2006: National Poetry Month: Richard McCann, Kenny Carroll and young readers from Brightwood and Stanton elementary schools in Washington, DC.
May 23, 2006: Richard Hedderman and others.
Literary Season 2004-2005
November 19, 2004: Judith Harris, Christina Donnelly and Abby Wilderson.
December 2, 2004: Ho Xuan Huong.
December 7, 2004: John Carter, Gary Stein, Sauci Churchill, Carl Conover, Joanne Rocky Delaplaine, Patricia Valdata and Charles E. Wright.
December 9, 2004: Jared Carter and Deborah Magpie Earling.
February 1, 2005: Kenneth Carroll, Anna Hunter, Adell Coleman, Tina Pryce and Carenda Tillery.
February 8, 2005: Karen Benke, David Dalton and Moira Egan.
February 24, 2005: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Martin Walls and Claudia Emerson.
March 25, 2005: "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" by Walt Whitman, followed by a discussion of the Library's upcoming events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Leaves of Grass."
April 1, 2005: Poets reading in Spanish.
April 12, 2005: Shakespeare's Birthday Reading: Four professional actors from The Shakespeare Theater's Academy of Classical Acting at The George Washington University.
April 26, 2005: Jorie Graham.
April 27, 2005: Bobbitt Prize: B.H. Fairchild.
May 5, 2005: Poet Laureate Ted Kooser.
May 31, 2005: Whitman's birthday and the anniversary of "Leaves of Grass" are celebrated with a reading by television and radio personality Robert Aubry Davis.
June 7, 2005: Marilyn Bates and George Bilgere.
Literary Season 2003-2004
September 26, 2003: Panel discussion about Ecuadorean Poet Laureate Jorge Carrera Andrade.
September 30, 2003: Poetry at Noon.
October 21, 2003: Poet Laureate Louise Glück.
October 22, 2003: Poet Laureate Louise Glück, former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Frank Bidart.
October 23, 2003: Former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Frank Bidart and David Gewanter.
October 28, 2003: Poetry reading.
November 13, 2003: Hobert Artken and other participants to be announced.
November 20, 2003: Frank Bidart and David Gewanter.
November 25, 2003: Kate Gale, Dennis Loney and Debra Nystrom.
December 4, 2003: Frank Bidart, David Gewanter and Jane Shore.
December 9, 2003: Sarah Browning, Michael Geshue, Eric Hintz, Carol Jennings, Joy Kraus, Gregory Orfalea and J.D. Smith.
February 13, 2004: Wisconsin State Poet Laureate Marilyn Taylor, Judith McCombs and Bonnie Naradzay.
February 24, 2004: Poetry at Noon.
February 24, 2004: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Dana Levin and Spencer Reece.
February 25, 2004: Symposium featuring Dana Levin, Spencer Reece, Peg Boyers, Dan Chiasson and Peter Streckfus.
March 16, 2004: Robert Aubry Davis.
April 8, 2004: "A Particular Life: Remembering Josephine Jacobsen," a tribute, with readings and reminiscences by some of her friends.
April 20, 2004: "Shakespeare's Birthday Reading," featuring classical actors and audience members reading from Shakespeare.
April 29, 2004: Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
May 3, 2004: Anne Carson and Claudia Rankine.
May 4, 2004: Poet Laureate Louise Glück.
May 11, 2004: Lucille Lang Day and Nan Fry.
July 9, 2004: Fernando Charry Lara and Armando Romero.
Literary Season 2002-2003
September 10, 2002: "Poetry on the Mountaintops."
October 9, 2002: Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
October 17, 2002: Carol Muske and Greg Delanty.
October 24, 2002: Lucille Clifton and another poet.
October 29, 2002: Padmini Mongia and David Kriebel.
November 7, 2002: Mary Jo Bang and Daniel Mark Epstein.
November 14, 2002: Kim Barnes and Robert Wrigley.
December 3, 2002: "Home and Hearth."
December 5, 2002: Bobbitt Prize: Alice Fulton.
January 17, 2003: Yeam Hong Choi, Haeng Ja Kim and Nam Soo Park. Witter-Bynner Fellows: Major Jackson and Rebecca Wee.
Feburary 11, 2003: Robert Aubry Davis.
Feburary 20, 2003: Jane Hirschfield and Glyn Maxwell.
March 5, 2003: Linda Gregerson.
March 13, 2003: Katha Pollitt and Linda Bierds.
April 26, 2003: Former Poet Laureate Robert Hass moderates River of Words environmental poetry and art contest.
May 7, 2003: Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
May 27, 2003: Pamela Harrison and Forestine Bynum.
Literary Season 2001-2002
October 18, 2001: "Urban Life."
November 8, 2001: John Ashbery and Tony Towle.
November 15, 2001: Five finalists in the first Phi Beta Kappa Poetry Award.
November 20, 2001: "Harvest."
November 29, 2001: Edward Hirsch and David Kirby.
December 6, 2001: Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
December 11, 2001: "Winter's Tales."
January 15, 2002: Dan Johnson and two others.
January 29, 2002: Davi Walders, Tonya Maria Matthews and Larae Van Clief-Stefanon.
February 7, 2002: David Lehman and Joshua Weiner.
February 14, 2002: Anne Marie Macari and Miles David Moore.
Feburary 28, 2002: Thomas Lynch and Mary O'Malley.
March 7, 2002: Dean Young and Mark Halliday.
March 21, 2002: Carolyn Kizer and Miller Williams.
April 3, 2002: Witter-Bynner Fellows: George Bilgere and Katia Kapovich.
April 18, 2002: Young Voices from the Nation's Capital: Centennial Celebration of Langston Hughes.
April 23, 2002: Shakespeare's Birthday Readings by four students from the Shakespeare Theater Academy for Classical Acting.
April 25, 2002: National Poetry Month readings.
April 27, 2002: International Environmental Poetry and Art Awards poetry contest winners.
May 8, 2002: Poet Laureate Billy Collins.
May 13, 2002: Former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky hosts favorite poem readings by local library users.
May 14, 2002: "Midsummer Night's Dream."
Literary Season 2000-2001
January 28, 2000: Marie Howe and Tom Sleigh.
February 15, 2000: Mel Belin, Jean Kalmanoff, Mary ann Larkin and Patric Pepper.
February 24, 2000: Mark Doty.
March 14, 2000: Nancy Allinson, Cicely Angleton and Jill Williams.
April 3, 2000: Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Rita Dove, Louise Glück, W.S. Merwin and Witter-Bynner Fellows Naomi Shihab Nye and Joshua Weiner.
April 4, 2000: Readings from their translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy by Italy's ambassador Ferdinando Salleo, Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and W.S. Merwin.
April 13, 2000: Readings by local school children of favorite poems and of their own work. Part of the District Lines Poetry Project. DC Poet Laureate Dolores Kendrick and Eloise Greenfield.
April 25, 2000: Shakespeare's Birthday Reading, John Bartoli.
April 26, 2000: Celebration marking the publication of Library of America's two-volume set American Poetry: The Twentieth Century with John Hollander and Carolyn Kizer.
April 29, 2000: Former Poet Laureate Robert Hass.
May 10, 2000: Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.
October 10, 2000: "Hindsight."
October 12, 2000: Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz.
November 2, 2000: Jeffrey Paine.
November 14, 2000: John Clarke, Bernadette Geyer and Kwelismith.
December 5, 2000: Marie Pavlicek-Wehrli and Gareth Phillips.
December 18, 2000: Bobbitt Prize: David Ferry with former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Louise Glück and Frank Bidart.
February 13, 2001: Kwame Alexander, Grant LaRouche and Ann Silsbee.
March 8, 2001: Peter Davison.
March 9, 2001: Yuri Andrukhovych.
March 15, 2001: Dorianne Laux and Gregory Orr.
March 22, 2001: Jean Valentine and Cornelius Eady.
March 29, 2001: Michael Burkard and Sapphire.
April 5, 2001: Witter-Bynner Fellows: Tory Dent and Nick Flynn.
April 12, 2001: Yusef Komunyakaa.
April 19, 2001: Gerald Stern.
April 24, 2001: Shakespeare's Birthday Reading featuring four graduate students from the new Academy of Classical Acting at the Shakespeare Theater and The George Washington University, Mark Cohen, Bill Davis, Peggy Scott and Susan Wilder.
April 26, 2001: "Young Voices from the Nation's Capital" presented students, grades 4-12. Part of the District Lines Poetry Project.
May 9, 2001: Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz.
May 15, 2001: "Poems about Animals."
