IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 865 
Honoring Tracy K. Smith for her selection by the Librarian of Congress 
as the 22d Poet Laureate of the United States and recognizing her 
great accomplishments. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 27, 2018 
Mr. TAKANO (for himself, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. 
MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MCNERNEY, and Mr. SMITH 
of Washington) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on House Administration 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring Tracy K. Smith for her selection by the Librarian 
of Congress as the 22d Poet Laureate of the United 
States and recognizing her great accomplishments. 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith was born April 16, 1972, in Fal-
mouth, Massachusetts, and raised in Fairfield, California; 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith earned a B.A. in English and 
American Literature and Afro-American studies from 
Harvard College in 1994; 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith earned a M.F.A. in creative writing 
from Columbia University in 1997; 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith is the author of four books of po-
etry and one of book of prose: ‘‘The Body’s Question’’ 
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(2003), ‘‘Duende’’ (2007), ‘‘Life on Mars’’ (2011), ‘‘Or-
dinary Light’’ (2016), and ‘‘Wade in the Water’’ (2018); 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith has received numerous awards, fel-
lowships, and other gestures of recognition, including the 
Cave Canem Poetry Prize, Rona Jaffe Foundation Writ-
er’s Award, Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation Writer’s 
Award, James Laughlin Award of the Academy of Amer-
ican Poets, Essence Magazine Literary Award, Pulitzer 
Prize for Poetry, Academy Fellowship of the Academy of 
American Poets, Robert Creeley Award, and Columbia 
University’s Medal for Excellence; 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith has taught at Marymount Manhat-
tan College, Medgar Evers College of the City University 
of New York, University of Pittsburgh, Columbia Univer-
sity, Bennington College, Bread Load School of English, 
and currently teaches at Princeton University, serving as 
Director of the Creative Writing Program; 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith was twice appointed as Poet Lau-
reate of the United States by the Librarian of Congress, 
Carla Hayden, for the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 terms, 
respectively; and 
Whereas Tracy K. Smith said that ‘‘Poetry tells us that the 
world is full of wonder, revelation, consolation, and mean-
ing.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) honors Tracy K. Smith for her selection by 
the Librarian of Congress as the 22d Poet Laureate 
of the United States; 
(2) recognizes the accomplishments of Tracy K. 
Smith; and 
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(3) encourages the people of the United States 
to explore the impact that the creative arts and po-
etry has in their daily lives. 
Æ 
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