Forever a Ted Kooser fan https://twitter.com/poetsorg/status/1254062613928923136

Actually, I want to say a little something about Ted Kooser. He’s probably the reason I’m spending a life focused on poetry. I met him when I was thinking about going to grad school, but was hedging bc I thought I wasn’t smart or interesting enough 1/

But somehow I was at dinner with Kooser after one of his readings at a local library. I think I just asked him if he wanted to get a sandwich and he said sure. 2/

I told him about how I thought I was dumb and not very literary and whatnot, and he laughed then said, “Probably 90% of people have a better vocabulary than me and I’m the Poet Laureate. You just have to sit down and notice things.” 3/

It was such a small thing. But that sentiment is there in Kooser’s poems. He goes for the simple, and painstaking chisels it in language. His work can be mistaken for too easy. Being as clear as he manages to be is anything but. If you don’t know his work, please check him out.

Here’s a favorite:

And what’s more, I’m sure Ted Kooser had this same conversation with a lot of people. He spent his tenure as poet laureate traveling around to libraries and bookstores reading to small crowds. He did something like 200 readings all over the country, encouraging poetry everywhere.

Alright, I’m done. I just really like Ted Kooser and hope people continue to read him. Have a good Saturday, everyone.