138. Lesbian Poet Wins Prestigious $500,000 Award

So many awards are bestowed on celebrities renowned only for their celebrity that the idea of excellence seems reduced to a sleazy walk on the red carpet in search of glitz and glam. But recently, Kay Ryan, a former U.S. poet laureate, received an award that is meaningful and well-deserved.

Last week, Ryan, who in California married her partner of 30 years, the late Carol Adair, received a $500,000 “genius award” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  The award will be paid to Ryan in yearly installments of $100,000 for five years. Ryan will be free to use the award money as she pleases. At a time when mediocrity is too often the norm and the arts are frequently undervalued, this is great news not only for Ryan, poets, the culture at large, but the LGBT community as well.

Why am I so excited about this? Because the “genius” award honors the work of not only a great poet, but an openly lesbian poet, who has brought poetry to people in all walks of life. / Kathi Wolfe, Washington Blade