Ada Limón is named 24th US poet laureate

By Leah Asmelash, CNN

Ada Limón, author of six books of poetry, will become the next US poet laureate.

Limón assumes the role from Joy Harjo, who served three 1-year terms in the position. She will begin her duties this fall, according to a statement from the Library of Congress.

As the 24th poet to hold the role, Limón called the position an “incredible honor” in a statement, and credited “teachers, poets, librarians and ancestors” for continuing to uplift poetry.

“Again and again, I have been witness to poetry’s immense power to reconnect us to the world, to allow us to heal, to love, to grieve, to remind us of the full spectrum of human emotion,” she said. “I am humbled by this opportunity to work in the service of poetry and to amplify poetry’s ability to restore our humanity and our relationship to the world around us.”

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry was first established in 1937. The position has been held by some of the most preeminent writers in the country, including Natasha Trethewey, Philip Levine and Louise Glück. Poets in the role are charged with expanding appreciation and knowledge of the craft among the general public, according to the library.

Limón’s latest collection of poetry just published in May, titled “The Hurting Kind” — part of a three-book deal with Milkweed Editions. She currently hosts the poetry podcast “The Slowdown” from American Public Media and teaches at Queens University of Charlotte Low Residency MFA program.

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