Arthur Sze reappointed poet
The Library of Congress reappointed Arthur Sze to a second one‑year term as U.S. poet laureate, and it noted his recent project Transient Worlds—a poetry‑in‑translation effort—was published Tuesday. (yoursourceone.com)
Arthur Sze will serve a second one-year term as United States poet laureate, the Library of Congress said Tuesday. (loc.gov) The Library said Sze’s new term covers 2026 to 2027. His first term ends April 30, 2026, when he returns to the Library for a public conversation with United Kingdom Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. (loc.gov) Sze said he plans to take his project “Words Bridging Worlds” around the country with readings, discussions and workshops. The Library and Associated Press both described the project as centered on poetry, translation and cross-cultural exchange. (abcnews.com) (loc.gov) The poet laureate post is formally called the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, and the Library’s Literary Initiatives Office says the position has existed since 1937. The modern “poet laureate” title began in 1985. (loc.gov 1) (loc.gov 2) The Library says the laureate usually serves one or two terms and works to raise the national awareness of poetry. The role also includes opening the Library’s annual literary season and shaping a project during the appointment. (loc.gov 1) (loc.gov 2) Sze’s latest book, “Transient Worlds: On Translating Poetry,” was published April 14 by Copper Canyon Press in association with the Library of Congress. The Library said the book spans 1,500 years of poetry and includes translations into English from 13 languages, including Arabic, Greek, Japanese, Navajo, Spanish and Tzeltal. (loc.gov) (coppercanyonpress.org) Sze, 75, was born in New York City in 1950 and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Library says he has published 11 poetry collections, and the Poetry Foundation says he was the first poet laureate of Santa Fe and is a professor emeritus at the Institute of American Indian Arts. (loc.gov) (poetryfoundation.org) Britannica and the Poetry Foundation say Sze is the first Asian American to hold the national post. His appointment in September 2025 followed Ada Limón’s tenure. (britannica.com) (poetryfoundation.org) The reappointment keeps Sze in the role through another National Poetry Month cycle, with a new book and a national outreach plan tied directly to translation. The next public marker is April 30 at the Library of Congress, where his first term closes and the second begins to take shape. (loc.gov)
