[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 10082]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO POET LAUREATE NATASHA TRETHEWEY

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I rise today to commend the 
accomplishments of an extraordinary Mississippian. Natasha Trethewey, a 
native of Gulfport, Mississippi, has been named the United States Poet 
Laureate. I join my fellow Mississippians and fellow Americans in 
celebrating Ms. Trethewey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, for receiving 
our country's highest distinction in the field of poetry.
  This honor is the first of its kind for my State, but literary 
excellence is not new to Mississippi. Our great State has a rich 
literary history because of Mississippians like William Faulkner, 
Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams, who have paved the way for Ms. 
Trethewey's success in literature.
  At the young age of 46, Ms. Trethewey has proven herself to be a 
talented and accomplished American writer. A prolific artist, she 
explored the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in her nonfiction work, 
``Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.''
  Our incoming Poet Laureate has captured the hearts and minds of her 
colleagues and peers, earning her a fan base across our State and 
Nation. Librarian of Congress James Billington is among those 
captivated by Ms. Trethewey's brilliance. In 2004, at the National Book 
Festival, Dr. Billington described Ms. Tretheway as an American who is 
``absolutely unique.'' Today, I am proud to repeat Dr. Billington's 
praise for this gifted Mississippian.
  Natasha Trethewey is not only a leader in her field but also a 
teacher for this Nation's future leaders. She is the Charles Howard 
Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University 
and is the Louis D. Rubin Writer-in-Residence for 2012 at Hollins 
University. She received her Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2007 for her 
2006 work, Native Guard. In the past year, Ms. Trethewey was named the 
Poet Laureate of Mississippi, an esteemed position my State is proud 
for her to hold.
  Mr. President, I have the highest admiration for this accomplished 
poet, author, and Mississippian. I know that my fellow Mississippians 
share this pride in Ms. Trethewey's work and national recognition. I am 
honored to congratulate Natasha Trethewey on her appointment as the 
2012 United States Poet Laureate.

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