New U.S. / Poet / Laureate

Friends,

Kay Ryan

named today

to replace

Charles Simic

as new

U.S.

poet

laureate.

Click

here

for

NY

Times

article.

For those who have read Ms. Ryan's work, what do you think? For my tastes, I'd rather have soon-to-be Oprah Book Club star Terrence Hayes, author of Wind in a Box to be the new poet laureate, or maybe Charles Wright because even though he is an old sumbitch, he's a good poet. Or maybe a Mark Strand type poet would be good. Or the smoking hot Sharon Olds. Shame William Matthews is dead...that guy's awesome. Poetry teachers, make your students read Time & Money. Anyway, Ryan's poems never struck me as particularly interesting or good, because the super-condensed line she likes never really did anything for me. Made them seem kind of precious in a way, but I'm really, REALLY undercutting her unfairly with those complaints. Anyway, what do you think of this selection?

viva los y las poet laureates!