Poet Tracy K. Smith ’94 accepts Harvard Arts Medal

Sunday, May 12, 2019 - 02:41 in Paleontology & Archaeology

Some of the most important time in Tracy K. Smith’s life was spent in the armchairs of Lamont Library. During a tumultuous first year at Harvard College following the death of her mother, Smith found moments of clarity in the corners of the library, covering the pages of her sketchbook with poetry. The certainty she felt in that library guided Smith when the rest of her life felt uncertain. Nearly 30 years later, Smith ’94 was welcomed back to campus as the 2019 Harvard Arts Medal recipient at a ceremony Thursday in Agassiz Theatre, kicking off Arts First weekend. Smith was introduced by fellow poet and English professor Jorie Graham, who praised her unique voice and “remarkable bandwidth” as an artist. In the years since College, Smith has become a prolific writer, publishing four collections of poetry on a vast range of topics, from the Civil War to outer space. She won the Pulitzer...

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