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The home of WS Merwin

With White House Poetry Jam, a new era

“We’re here to celebrate the power of words,” President Obama said. Words “help us appreciate beauty and also understand pain. They inspire us to action.” He introduced the first lady as his poet.

Preorders up for Ryan Adams’ new book of poems (we’re not fans of his poetry, but love his music)

Kepler probe begins search for Earth-like worlds

“The Obamas hosted a night of poetry reading and the spoken word featuring James Earl Jones, Esperanza Spalding and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The night also included musical interludes, modern poetry and excerpts from Shakespeare.”

More from the AP

“Jammin’ in the East Room” from the NY Times

Some think that Barack Obama might be considering incorporating a poetry reading into his inauguration.  Of course, he’s a poet himself.  Via Poetry Hut:  “Speculation is rife in the poetry world,” says Tree Swenson, executive director of the Academy of American Poets. “Given that he is so eloquent himself and so tuned to words, the assumption is that, of course, he will have a poet at the inauguration.”  More.

Via Poetry Hut:  In this month’s Atlantic we’re treated to musing on the poetry of Abraham Lincoln.  The Atlantic links out to a NY Times piece from May 2008 that reprinted two Obama poems that the President-elect published in an Occidental College literary journal in his early adult years, “Pop” and “Undeground”.  Incidentally, I like the phrase “musty, wet pelts” in “Underground”.

Barack Obama apparently wrote poetry in college, at least according to a purported class mate who took a creative writing class with the President elect.

Maya Angelou is said to be writing a poem about Obama.

Also, even after winning the election, Obama is still reading poetry.