Kevin Stein, Illinois’ new poet laureate, announced this week that the ILINOIS POET LAUREATE’S WEBSITE is now up and running at www.poetlaureate.il.us. The site will highlight one Illinois poet for a period of several months. Currently featured is Pulitzer Prize winner Lisel Mueller. Seven of Mueller’s poems are at the site in both text and audio, with Mueller reading her poems. The site also features prose in which Lisel describes coming to America to flee Nazi Germany, and her beginnings as a poet. Visitors to the site will also find:
–Video clips of three Illinois poets (Allison Joseph, Dave Etter, Laurence Lieberman) reading their work (with accompanying text)
— Video of Kevin Stein reading one of his poems, Stein’s commentary on the poem, and text of the poem
–Youth poetry selections
–Advice to young poets
–An explanation of the origin of the term “poet laureate” and a discussion of the laureate’s duties
–Links to other state and national poetry websites