Iowa native begins term as Poet Laureate

Iowa native Ted Kooser — the new U.S. poet laureate — will kick off his “term” tonight with a poetry reading in Washington, D.C. Kooser, who was born in Ames, will read from his recent book, “Delights and Shadows,” at the Library of Congress. Kooser says he wants to offer some variety as well as a little humor to provide some relief. He read through his selections this morning, and Kooser says he feels pretty good about how it’ll go tonight. Kooser, who is a professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, says he’s been through a whirlwind of interviews, receptions and other events since he arrived in Washington earlier this week. During his year as poet laureate, Kooser plans to travel back to Washington several more times and make other trips to promote poetry across the nation.