Poet Laureate Inaugural Reading!

Last night, we headed to the Library of Congress' Coolidge Auditorium in the Thomas Jefferson Building for the inaugural reading of this year's Poet Laureate! 

We snapped the 22nd Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Princeton University professor Tracy K. Smith as she read several poems from each of her award-winning books of poetry. The historic reading launches the library’s 2017-2018 literary season. 

In additional to the national Poet Laureate, those in the audience also heard from the country’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman. Gorman, a sophomore at Harvard University and a native of Los Angeles, opened the event by reading an original poem she prepared especially for the evening, which centered on current events and her own life's story. 

Amanda was named the country’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in April, and was chosen from five finalists representing five regions across the country. Here, she stands as she is humbled by the audience's standing ovation with the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, watching from behind. 

Here, Hayden addresses the audience and describes the process in which the National Poet Laureate and National Youth Poet Laureate were chosen. 

The Library of Congress' Kimberly McCullough, Anya Creighney and Travis Hensley prior to the inaugural reading event.