Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

PEOPLE/ARTS Thursday 15 June 2017
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Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy K. Smith is new U.S. poet laureate

By HILLEL ITALIE all the best poetry does, publication Mother Jones,
AP National Writer ‘Life on Mars’ first sends us which asked “authors and
NEW YORK (AP) — Tracy K. out into the magnificent creative types to name
Smith, the country’s new chill of the imagination and books that bring solace or
poet laureate, would like to then returns us to ourselves, understanding in this age
start a conversation. both changed and con- of rancor.” Smith’s sugges-
“A poem asks you to let soled.” tions included “The Collect-
go many of your assump- Librarian of Congress Carla ed Poems of Lucille Clifton”
tions, move away from Hayden said in a state- and Solmaz Sharif’s “Look,”
your own certainties and ment that Smith “shows us praised by Smith for calling
to listen,” says Smith, 45, a through these poems how “attention to the ways that
Pulitzer Prize winner whose to think and feel our way official language has been
appointment to a one- through these big ideas. It’s employed in ways de-
year term was announced wonderful that her poetry signed to deaden it (and
Wednesday by the Library can be so big and sprawl- us) of human feeling.”
of Congress. ing in its themes, and at the During her recent inter-
Smith, who succeeds Juan same time laser-focused in view, Smith said she didn’t
Felipe Herrera, won the Pu- its words.” In this April 16, 2012 file photo, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Tracy see her new job as a “plat-
litzer in 2012 for her poetry The laureate’s responsi- K. Smith poses outside her apartment in New York. Smith is the form” for her own politics
collection “Life on Mars” bilities are few, allowing country’s new poet laureate. and called the laureate’s
and was a National Book appointees to establish job “beautifully remote
Award finalist for nonfic- individual projects and pri- include Robert Pinsky, tration of George W. Bush. from any kind of political
tion three years later for her orities, such as the work- Rita Dove and Natasha Poet laureate Billy Collins obligation.” She said any
memoir “Ordinary Light.” shops for women organized Trethewey.Smith’s goals at stated he was opposed to resistance will be to “pre-
She has been praised for by Maxine Kumin. The job’s this point are to use poetry war in Iraq and defended fabricated language,” the
her command of language official title is the lofty “Poet as a bridge for people of anti-war poets who led the kind absorbed through ad-
and emotions, for a vision Laureate Consultant in Po- different backgrounds and White House to cancel a vertising or “clickbait on
that encompasses every- etry,” with a more ground- viewpoints. She accepts planned symposium with the internet.”
thing from space explora- ed stipend of $35,000. The the job at a uniquely divid- first lady Laura Bush. “That resistance really reso-
tion to the death of her laureate “serves as the ed moment, serving during “If political protest is urgent, nates with me,” she says.
father, and her gift for both nation’s official lightning the administration of Don- I don’t think it needs to wait “I feel like books I high-
social commentary and rod for the poetic impulse ald Trump, a reliable villain for an appropriate scene lighted (in the “Resistance”
personal reflection. of Americans,” according at poetry readings. Poets and setting and should be series) were a way of say-
“Smith shows herself to be to the library, and “seeks laureate have little interac- as disruptive as it wants ing, ‘Let’s look at what
a poet of extraordinary to raise the national con- tion with the president and to be,” Collins said at the language is doing, what
range and ambition,” poet sciousness to a greater ap- have rarely been drawn time. it enables us to get away
Joel Brouwer, reviewing preciation of the reading into political conflict. An In April, Smith contributed with, but also how it invites
“Life on Mars,” wrote in The and writing of poetry.” exception happened in to a “Resistance” series to explore what might be
New York Times in 2011. “As Other previous laureates 2003, during the adminis- organized by the liberal needed.’”q
Seth Meyers’ ‘Closer Look’

segments are ‘Late Night’ staple

By ALICIA RANCILIO er than Trump making his along the way.”
Associated Press staff go around the room Sal Gentile, designated
NEW YORK (AP) — From and praise him? Even Kim writer for “A Closer Look,”
“covfefe” to Sean Spicer’s Jong Un is like, ‘Dude, have says it’s “a lot of rapid-fire
press briefings, the Trump some self-respect,’” joked joke writing.”
administration has provid- Meyers in “A Closer Look” “First you’re processing
ed a steady stream of ma- segment.Meyers says his news and on top of that
terial for late-night shows. interest in current events you’ve got to write jokes,”
NBC’s “Late Night with Seth and politics stems from his he says. “It requires speed
Meyers” now devotes up childhood.“My parents and discipline.” This May 3, 2017 photo released by NBC shows Seth Meyers at
to 12 minutes of airtime are very much into read- The “Closer Look” segment his desk during a taping of, “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” in
three to four days a week ing newspapers, watch- appears three or four times New York.
with a segment called “A ing the news every night,” a week, and “Late Night” Associated Press
Closer Look.”During these he says. “I grew up in New producer and showrunner learned to let the segment suited to call them out,”
segments, Meyers and his Hampshire, so presidential Mike Shoemaker says it’s run and figure out the rest.” he said.He says the main
writers take an element of politics were on our front “the thing that excites us.” Meyers says there are no goal of the segments is to
news and do a deep dive. door every four years for “If you asked me a few rules about “A Closer Look.” entertain, but it’s cathar-
On Monday it was Presi- six months.”“Late Night” years ago, ‘Do you think “I think one of the great tic for him as well. “It’s the
dent Donald Trump’s efforts head writer Alex Baze says you’ll have 12-minute seg- advantages we have over best feeling to have a day
to discredit former FBI Di- people are paying atten- ments that will even go on real journalists who wonder- where there are things in
rector James Comey while tion to politics.“You can do YouTube much less get a fully have higher standards the news that are frustrat-
also trying to bolster his your best work when the million views by the next than we do is, when you’re ing to you and stressful, but
own reputation. He asked audience has a lot of in- day,’ I’d be very surprised. dealing with an adminis- if you can go out and tell
Cabinet members to give formation,” he said. “When ... People accept it at ev- tration that often doesn’t jokes, it is the best feeling.
him compliments in an on- you have to explain the ery length and sometimes have a lot of respect for I’m very lucky. I feel very
air round table. whole story and then make even the longer ones integrity, comedy shows fortunate to tell jokes now
“Is there anything creepi- a joke, it really loses steam do better,” he says. “We like ours are kind of better more than ever.”q