mjh's blog

Ted Kooser

With a link, johnny_mango brings me back to our new Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser.

A poet for the people

In early October, Kooser took over as the “Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.” It’s a flexible job. Kooser’s predecessor, Louise Glück, made it clear she wasn’t going to be as visible as her predecessor, Billy Collins, who had spent his two one-year terms (2001-03) as a roving ambassador for poetry.

Kooser, though, is taking Collins for his model. That means readings around the country, spreading poetry like gospel. And Kooser doesn’t fly — not because he’s afraid, he says, but because he feels intense discomfort on airplanes. He prefers to drive, which means he’ll log thousands of miles next year.

[mjh: the full article lurks behind a free subscription login. I used http://bugmenot.com to come up with a valid combination.]

Poet: Ted Kooser – All poems of Ted Kooser

Kooser’s poetry reminds me a bit of Billy Collins. His After Years is brilliant.

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