Pulitzer Prize finalist and translator Arthur Sze, 74, is the nation’s newest poet laureate, the Library of Congress announced Monday.
“His poetry is distinctly American in its focus on the landscapes of the Southwest, where he has lived for many years, as well as in its great formal innovation,” acting Librarian of Congress Robert Randolph Newlen said in a statement.
“Like Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, Sze forges something new from a range of traditions and influences – and the result is a poetry that moves freely throughout time and space.”
Sze, who lives in Santa Fe, N.M., will spend his time in the role translating poetry written in other languages, the Library of Congress said in a news release.
“As laureate I feel a great responsibility to promote the ways poetry, especially poetry in translation, can impact our daily lives,” Sze said in a statement. “We live in such a fast-paced world: poetry helps us slow down, deepen our attention, connect and live more fully.”
Sze will begin his laureateship with a reading on Oct. 9 at the Library.
