Tracy K. Smith
The poet laureate’s new collection, Wade in the Water, deals with race, love and the Civil War
Why does poetry matter today? Poetry requires us to be humble and beholden to something other than our own opinion. That’s important. There’s too much in our 21st century lives that is telling us we’re the most important thing, that our initial gut reaction is incredibly valuable and not vulnerable, and that our opinions as consumers are more important than just about anything
