William S. Merwin named 17th US poet laureate
A writer who stopped using punctuation in the 1960s and spent much of the last 30 years secluded in Hawaii has been named as the next poet laureate of the United States.
Published: The Telegraph,  01 Jul 2010

 William S. Merwin has been named as the 17th US poet laureate  Photo: AP

William S. Merwin will become the 17th US poet laureate in the autumn, succeeding Kay Ryan, who has held the post since 2008.
The 82-year-old Merwin is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, honoured most recently in 2009 for "The Shadow of Sirius".

The author of more than 30 books, Merwin's poems are heavily influenced by his interest in Buddhism. Also an ardent environmentalist, Merwin has dedicated himself to restoring the island's rainforests - work he can continue while serving as America's poet-in-chief because he will still be based at his secluded Hawaiian pineapple plantation.

"I am very happy to do it at a time when there is someone that I respect so much in the White House," Merwin said. "One always hopes that one is going to draw more attention to poetry and get more people to pay attention to it," he said, adding: "I am not primarily a disseminator. I just like to write poems."

The position, created in 1985, lasts for a year or two and is intended to raise national appreciation of poetry. It comes with a $35,000 (£23,000) stipend and a $5,000 travel allowance.