A few months ago, I was talking to a former student about how she teaches poetry to college undergraduates. The point of poetry is not merely to make points — after all, so do TED talks and university lectures and press conferences. In case you didn’t know, April is National Poetry Month, 30 days in which to contemplate anew why this particular art of words holds a place in the collective heart that is unrivaled. One, with a prize of $100,000, recognizes a book published by a mid-career poet; the other awards $10,000 for a first book by a poet of “genuine promise.”Our judges, celebrated poets in their own right, must decide which collections of poetry merit such remunerative honors. I’m reminded of it in these lines by the winner of our mid-career award this year, Vievee Francis.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 17, 2017 11:03 UTC