The Catbird Seat: Poets Laureate in Maryland

Poet Reed Whittemore observed that the job of Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress "is such a rare and special one .that it is a job of opportunity, a catbird seat." The same might be said about being Maryland Poet Laureate, a position Whittemore held from 1985 to 1988, after retiring as a professor in the University's English department. Maryland 's Poets Laureate elevate the role of poetry in Maryland and often travel extensively within the state, fostering and promoting the pleasures of reading and writing poetry.

This exhibit highlights the work of the Poets Laureate and examines the lives of two especially accomplished Laureates, Reed Whittemore and Roland Flint, whose papers the University Libraries hold. Through their published work, manuscripts, correspondence, and personal memorabilia, the exhibit traces the lives and careers of these two distinguished poets.