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Tribune News Service

Lifestyle

Meredith Howard

The next US poet laureate has KY roots. What to know about the prestigious position

United States Ada Limón KY (Geopolitical Entity) Library of Congress Lexington Calif New York

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Library of Congress named Lexington writer Ada Limón the 24th U.S. poet laureate Tuesday. Limón has written six poetry books, and she’s won major awards for her works.

But what exactly is the U.S. poet laureate and what do they do? Here’s what to know about the position, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

What is the U.S. poet laureate?

The office was established in 1937 as “Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress” and it functioned under this name until 1986.

A congressional act changed the name to “Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry,” and the official name hasn’t changed since then.

While the consultant in poetry position as it was established in 1937 came with several specific responsibilities, from evaluating the library collection’s strengths and weaknesses, to compiling bibliographies, the role looks quite different now.

The Library of Congress limits poet laureate responsibilities to provide the individual with ample opportunity to develop their personal projects, according to its website.

Each poet laureate largely defines their role. Some choose to undergo national-scale projects, while others focus more on their personal goals.

That said, the poet laureate gives an annual lecture and reading of their poetry to the Library of Congress. They also select two annual Witter Bynner fellows and give a presentation at the end of their term.

The poet laureate is paid an annual $35,000 stipend, as well as an additional $5,000 for travel. This salary is not paid for by the U.S. government; it’s funded by a private gift from philanthropist and poet Archer M. Huntingdon.

The Library of Congress typically appoints the poet laureate between June and August, and the official term usually lasts from September to April. The appointment can be renewed for a second term, and two poet laureates have served third terms.

The U.S. poet laureate can use the Poetry Room, which is located in the Thomas Jefferson Building, to work and conduct meetings.

U.S. poet laureates with Kentucky roots

The first Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry was Robert Penn Warren, who was born in Guthrie, Ky., in 1905. Warren first served as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1944 to 1945, then held the updated position from 1986 to 1987.

Warren won three Pulitzer Prizes: one for fiction and two for poetry. He remains to this day the only person to win the prize in the fiction category, as well as the poetry division.

Limón, the next poet laureate, grew up in Sonoma, Calif., and currently resides in Lexington. She hosts a poetry podcast, The Slowdown, and recently held a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Allen Tate, another Kentuckian, served as U.S. Consultant in Poetry from 1943 to 1944. Tate was born in Winchester, Ky., in 1899, and he wrote 14 poetry collections. Tate also received a Guggenheim Fellowship, along with the Bollingen Prize from Yale University.

Who has served as U.S. poet laureate?

Here’s who has served as U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry since the title was updated in 1986:

-- Robert Penn Warren, 1986 to 1987. Born in Guthrie, Ky.

-- Richard Wilbur, 1987 to 1988. Born in New York City.

-- Howard Nemerov, 1988 to 1990. Born in New York City.

-- Mark Strand, 1990 to 1991. Born on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

-- Joseph Brodsky, 1991 to 1992. Born in Leningrad (present-day St. Petersburg), Russia.

-- Mona Van Duyn, 1992 to 1993. Born in Waterloo, Iowa.

-- Rita Dove, 1993 to 1995. Born in Akron, Ohio.

-- Robert Hass, 1995 to 1997. Born in San Francisco, Calif.

-- Robert Pinsky, 1997 to 2000. Born in Long Branch, N.J.

-- Stanley Kunitz, 2000 to 2001. Born in Worcester, Mass.