Elizabeth Alexander has been named the inaugural poet for the Jan. 20, 2009 ceremony. I like her. She's put out oodles of books, and her poems aren't anywhere near as icky as Maya Angelou's inaugural poem.
I'm looking forward to hearing it, knowing that I've not heard an inaugural poem read since Arkansas poet Miller Williams 1997 reading of his inaugural poem.
What do people think of Alexander and her work? Just glancing at her poems on her Web site, I think she's really neat-o.
Also, what poet would people have rather seen? With apologies to Alexander, I really would like to see what James Tate would have done with an inaugural poem assignment. Tate would have taken us on a very odd journey on that podium, but probably a journey paralleling the one the Country's been on for the past eight years. His latest book, The Ghost Soldiers, has wonderful narratives that pivot on metaphors that directly relate to fear, paranoia, the war on terrorism. The one constant in that book seems to be the work of trying to be an American in the early 2000s.
Dara Wier would have been an interesting choice. I carry Hat on a Pond in my bag everywhere I go.
There are gazillions more choices. Michael S. Harper, John Ashberry, Mark Strand, Mark Doty, Louis Simpson, Sidney Lea, Paul Allen, Rita Dove, on and on and on.
(None of these poets are better or worse than Alexander. I'm just itching to start a whoozure favorite poet conversation.)
Anyone?