Natasha Trethewey. Photo Courtesy of Matt Valentine.
Poetry is not a dying art and Natasha Trethewey is going to make sure it’s not. It was only a year ago that Trethewey was bestowed one of the most coveted titles; U.S. poet laureate. Today it has been announced that Trethewey is underway to serve a second term. This is a big deal! As I briefly mentioned a year ago, she is the “first African-American poet (since Rita Dove in 1993) and the first hailing from the south, since the initial recipient, to receive the prestigious title.”
According to the Clarion-Ledger:
“Plans are under way for Trethewey to launch a national project aimed at highlighting poetry in places with deep connections to her life. She’s weighing the option of visiting women’s shelters (her mother was a victim of abuse), a prison or juvenile detention center (her brother served time in a Mississippi facility) and an area hard hit by a disaster (her family was a victim of Hurricane Katrina).”
The Clarion-Ledger also mentions that Trethewey will be partnering with PBS for their “Poetry Series.” Tretheway tells the Clarion-Ledger she is drawn to poetry, “for the way that it helps us reflect upon the human condition, the way that it helps to connect us to other people, the way that the language of it allows us to hear things that we may not hear in our ordinary discourse with each other.”
Though poetry isn’t my foray, it will always have a special place within me. The broken lines, the abstract and direct descriptions, subject matters and various cadences reel me in. I have to admit, that I have not read any of Trethewey’s poetry. However, I’m very curious about her writing now, especially on her subject matter. At first introduction, the only thing I knew of her subject matter is that she focused on the importance of capturing historical accounts and committing them to memory. It seems she pretty much still sticks with this theme but has incorporated more recent history history.
As part of the “job” of being the poet laureate, the person must take up residence within the Library of Congress. The Clarion-Ledger mentions that Trethewey keeps office hours in the Library of Congress and visitors gather for what Trethewey calls a “mini poetry town hall meeting.” Perhaps I should take advantage of this one day.
Mahoganie: Musings East of the Anacostia River 
Posted on June 10, 2013
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