April is both Celebrate Diversity Month and National Poetry Month. Therefore, it is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on The City of Philadelphia Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate, as well as past and present Poet Laureates representing the diverse voices of the United States in our nation’s capital.
Meet The Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate is appointed annually by the U.S. Librarian of Congress and typically serves for two consecutive terms (from September to April). According to the Library of Congress, The Poet Laureate has the honor of reading their poetry at the Library of Congress each year, and “these events are free and open to the public.” Poet Laureates are also given “maximum freedom to work on their own projects while at the Library.” Many strive to “raise awareness and appreciation of poetry on a national level” and each individual brings something unique to the position.
The Current Poet Laureate, Ada Limón, is of Mexican ancestry. She is the author of six award-winning poetry collections, including The Hurting Kind, (2022), The Carrying (2018), Bright Dead Things (2015), Sharks in the Rivers (2010), Lucky Wreck (2006), and This Big Fake World (2006). She holds a Master of Fine Arts from New York University and is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women, per the Library of Congress. Limón is one of several distinguished and diverse Poet Laureates in our country’s history. Others of note include Joy Harjo, Tracy K. Smith, Juan Felipe Herrera, Natasha Trethewey, Kay Ryan, and Rita Dove, as well as a long and inclusive list of National Youth Poet Laureates.
Meet The City of Philadelphia Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate
Per The Free Library, “The City of Philadelphia Poet Laureate program is administered by the Free Library of Philadelphia and guided by a governing committee composed of poets, educators, and arts-organization professionals from around the city.” This two-year civic position “recognizes an exceptional poet who also demonstrates a commitment to the power of poetry to engage and inspire people throughout Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.”
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