CT Commission On Culture & Tourism

Announces John Hollander As New State Poet Laureate

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism (CCT) announced this week that John Hollander of Woodbridge has been named Connecticut’s new poet laureate, an honorary position established by the Connecticut legislature in 1985. As the state’s representative poet, the poet laureate functions as an advocate for poetry, fostering appreciation of poetry and writing throughout Connecticut.

John Hollander will serve a five-year term, from 2007 through 2011, and will receive an annual stipend of $1,000. He succeeds current poet laureate Marilyn Nelson, who began her term in 2001. Previous Connecticut poet laureates include Leo Connellan and James Merrill.

Mr Hollander is an inspiring presence in American literary life and one of the nation’s most distinguished poets. Since receiving the Yale Younger Poets Prize in 1958 for his first collection of poems, A Crackling of Thorns, Mr Hollander has produced an unparalleled body of work that is widely acclaimed for its brilliance, virtuosity and originality. He has written 22 books of poetry, several works of criticism and numerous anthologies, as well as books for children and operatic and lyric works with composers such as Milton Babbitt and George Perle.

“John Hollander brings honor to the poet laureate post, and his extensive work and talent serve as an inspiration for Connecticut’s citizens,” said Jennifer Aniskovich, executive director of the Commission on Culture & Tourism. “We are fortunate to count this talented poet among our rich and diverse pool of state artists.”

Beyond his impressive history of publication, Mr Hollander is a renowned educator, having taught at Yale University for decades until his retirement in 2003. His collection, Rhyme’s Reason, is the definitive handbook for teaching poetry and has influenced generations of students. A dazzling and inspiring lecturer, he has spoken to a diverse array of audiences and devoted countless hours to promoting an appreciation of poetry among the larger public.

Mr Hollander’s many honors and awards include the Bollingen Prize, the Levinson Prize and the MLA Shaughnessy Medal, as well as fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. A former chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, he received the 1997 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award.

CCT received eight nominations for the 2007-11 poet laureateship. Selection criteria included distinction in the field of poetry, history of publication and experience with diverse audiences.

A distinguished panel of poets and literary professionals reviewed the nominations. Panelists included Elizabeth Alexander, author and editor, poet and professor of African-American studies at Yale University; and David Barber, poetry editor at the Atlantic Monthly; J. D. McClatchy, poet, librettist and English professor at Yale University.