On June 14, 2017, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden appointed Tracy K. Smith the twenty-second United States poet laureate. Smith, who is also the recipient of the 2014 Academy of American Poets Fellowship and the 2006 James Laughlin Award, will officially begin her post in September.
Following the news of her appointment to the prestigious position, we asked her a few questions about the role of the poet in American culture, the relevance of poetry, and what she plans to do during her tenure as poet laureate. Read the full Q&A and find out more about Smith.