University News | June 7, 2012

Radcliffe fellow Trethewey named poet laureate

Natasha Trethewey was a 2001 Radcliffe Institute Fellow.

Natasha Trethewey, a 2001 Radcliffe Institute Fellow, has been named poet laureate of the United States. According to the announcement from the Library of Congress, quoting James H. Billington, the current Librarian of Congress,

Natasha Trethewey is an outstanding poet/historian in the mold of Robert Penn Warren, our first Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Her poems dig beneath the surface of history—personal or communal, from childhood or from a century ago—to explore the human struggles that we all face.

Read an appreciation of her work from The New York Times. Trethewey won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her third collection, Native Guard.

You might also like

Stone building with large windows and stairs, under a clear blue sky.

At informational town hall meetings, faculty and staff press administrators for details.

Woman wearing a silver dress stands confidently against a gray background.

The Emmy-winning journalist was a mainstay of political coverage at NBC for two decades.

A man in a suit waves while smiling, with greenery in the background.

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person.

Most popular

Historic building entrance featuring tall columns and a rounded arch doorway.

A new proposed structure, layoffs, and a five-day-a-week in-person work mandate will take effect by fall.

Moore dancing with the Universal Robotics robot

The Harvard Ballerina and Physicist

Ballerina and quantum physicist Merritt Moore ’11 connects humans and machines.

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

Health & Medicine

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Letters to the Editor

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

University News

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.