What Does a Poet Laureate Do? Kay Ryan.

 

A two time Poet Laureate, from 2008 until 2010.

Kay Ryan





“What poetry does is put more oxygen in the atmosphere. Poetry makes it easier to breathe.”






Besides writing poetry, she developed Poetry for the Mind’s Joy in 2009 to highlight poetry being written on community college campuses.

Poetry for the Mind’s Joy is a national initiative that includes a videoconference, a national celebration by community colleges, and a poetry writing contest. 

~ The ANTHOLOGY of winning poems ~

In April of 2011,  Ms Ryan won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, for her collection The Best of It: New and Selected Poems.

Here is an example of her poetry:


Hide and Seek
― Kay Ryan,
      The Niagara River

It’s hard not
to jump out
instead of
waiting to be
found. It’s
hard to be
alone so long
and then hear
someone come
around. It’s
like some form
of skin’s developed
in the air
that, rather
than have torn,
you tear.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Kay Ryan:

• Online resources for Kay Ryan.
• Prior posts on Kay Ryan here & here.

General:

• From the Catbird Seat: Poetry and literature at the Library of Congress.
• List of Poets Laureate.

Photo: Hide and Seek, Artsy Time.