The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : 'A Genuine Poet of the American People'

That description could apply to many of the nation's great bards -- from Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson to such later poets as Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsburg and Bob Dylan. For Ted Kooser, the nation's current Poet Laureate, the title belongs to singer-songwriter John Prine. Kooser used those words when he introduced Prine during an event in the Library's Coolidge Auditorium on March 9, 2005.

Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and singer-songwriter John Prine in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, March 9, 2005

Their lively discussion was recorded and can be viewed as one of many Webcasts available from the Library of Congress. These programs reflect the breadth and diversity of the programs held at the Library each year. The Webcasts page provides access to these extraordinary programs in a number of ways. For example, if you want to know what other people are viewing, there is a list of the "10 Most Popular Webcasts." You can also browse the programs by category, such as "Biography, History," "Culture, Performing Arts," "Government, World Affairs," or "Science and Technology."

The most recent program in "Science and Technology" is "The History of Household Technology," in which Constance Carter, head of the Library's Science and Reference Division, describes the evolution in the technology of washing machines, irons and stoves and its effect on the work of women in the home. A related page offers links to other sections on the Library's Web sites that document this topic as well as a bibliography to "read more about it."

A. Lowell McGiuuis, photographer. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and singer-songwriter John Prine in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, March 9, 2005. Reproduction information: Not available for reproduction.

B. [Emily Dickinson, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing right], 1894. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-90564 (b&w film copy neg.); Call No.: Illus. in PS1541.Z5A3 [Rare Book RR].