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| Juan Felipe Herrera | |
Juan Felipe Herrera has been appointed to serve a second term as U.S. Poet Laureate. During his first term, he created the online project "La Casa de Colores," comprising two initiatives: "La Familia," a submission-based epic poem asking for the participation of the general public, and "El Jardín," a series chronicling his experiences exploring and interacting with the Library of Congress's resources and collections. His second term will begin September 1. Previous multiyear laureates include Natasha Trethewey, Kay Ryan, Ted Kooser and Billy Collins.
"In his first term as Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera traveled the country championing poetry; he also launched an ambitious project on the Library's website," said acting Librarian of Congress David Mao, who announced the appointment at Herrera's end-of the-term lecture Wednesday. "We look forward to seeing what Herrera will accomplish in his second term, and we know he will continue to inspire and educate with his warmth, enthusiasm and creative genius."
Herrera expressed "deep gratitude and great joy, and many thank-yous to the Library. I look forward to continuing my first year's momentum and sharing the inspiration tsunami given to me in every community that I visit throughout the USA as laureate."