Being Poet Laureate Made Me Realize I

As An African-american, As A Woman I Think That I've Been Sensitized To The Way In Which History Privileges The White Male And The Way In Which Certain Aspects Of History, The Things That We Are Taught In School, The Things That Are Handed Down Never, Never Entered The Picture Though They Might Have Been Very Important.

It's The Combination Of The Intimate And The Public That I Find So Exciting About Being Poet Laureate.

Going To The Library Was The One Place We Got To Go Without Asking For Permission. And They Let Us Choose What We Wanted To Read. It Was A Feeling Of Having A Book Be Mine Entirely.

I Prefer To Explore The Most Intimate Moments, The Smaller, Crystallized Details We All Hinge Our Lives On.

There Are Distinct Duties Of A Poet Laureate. I Plan A Reading Series At The Library Of Congress And Advise The Librarian. The Rest Is How I Want To Promote Poetry