External Websites

The following links to external websites provide more information about the life and works of Kay Ryan.

Biographical information about Kay Ryan can be found on the following websites:

Academy of American Poets External
Biography of Kay Ryan, samples of her poetry, and links to external resources.
MacArther Foundation External
Brief biography and video clip of Ryan, who won a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship.
Britannica External
A biography of Kay Ryan's life and work as a poet.
Poetry Foundation External
Biography of Kay Ryan, more than 20 full-text poems, and several articles by Ryan.
The Steven Barclay Agency External
Biography of Kay Ryan and links to other Web sites.

For the latest news and discussions related to Kay Ryan, see:

A selected list of news articles, interviews, and conversations, arranged in chronological order, follows below.

Selected Articles, News, and Interviews

"Former Poet Laureate Kay Ryan headed to SMU" External
The Dallas Morning News. January 21, 2016.
"Poet Kay Ryan Named MacArthur Fellow" External
Voice of America. September 21, 2011.
"Pulitzer Winner Kay Ryan on Poetry, Rhyming, and Terminal Cancer" External
Speakeasy blog, The Wall Street Journal. April 19, 2011.
"Hall-Kenyon Poetry Prize goes to Kay Ryan" External
Concord Monitor. April 18, 2011.
"The Exit Interview: Poet Laureate Kay Ryan" External
Washington City Paper Arts Desk blog. May 19, 2010.
Interview with the College of Southern Maryland External
Southern Maryland Online. March 25, 2010.
"U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Speaks, Teaches at Stanford" External
Stanford Report. March 8, 2010.
"Poet Laureate Sets Sights on Community Colleges" External
Roll Call. October 27, 2009.
"Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Pushes Verse for Community Colleges" External
Online NewsHour. October 22, 2009.
"Catching Up with Kay Ryan, Poet Laureate, at the National Book Festival" External
The Washington Post. September 26, 2009.
"The Reluctant Poet Laureate" External
Newsweek. June 27, 2009.
"Kay Ryan, The Art of Poetry No. 94" External
The Paris Review, no. 187. Winter 2008.
"The Outsider Artist: Assessing Kay Ryan, Our New Poet Laureate" External
Slate. July 29, 2008.
"America's Busiest Poet" External
Time. July 23, 2008.
"Kay Ryan, a Laureate Worth Lauding" External
The New York Sun. July 18, 2008.
"Poet Laureate of the United States: Kay Ryan" External
SFGate. July 18, 2008.
"Verse of the Turtle" External
The Washignton Post. July 17, 2008.
"Kay Ryan, Outsider With Sly Style, Named Poet Laureate" External
The New York Times. July 17, 2008.
"Stray Questions for: Kay Ryan" External
Paper Cuts blog, The New York Times. October 19, 2007.
"Kay Ryan Rises to the Top Despite Her Refusal to Compromise" External
Marin Independent Journal. September 23, 2007.
"Poet Kay Ryan: A Profile" External
The Christian Science Monitor. August 25, 2004.
"Poet Kay Ryan wins Ruth Lilly Prize" External
USA Today (Associated Press). June 14, 2004.

A selection of radio programs featuring Kay Ryan or in which Ryan and her work are discussed are listed below.

"U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan awarded 2011 MacArthur 'Genius Grant'" External
Southern California Public Radio. September 20, 2011 (6:20)
Kay Ryan External
Nevada Public Radio. December 30, 2009 (30:30)
"An Interview with Poet Laureate Kay Ryan" External
Radio Colorado Radio. November 4, 2009 (18:52)
Poet Kay Ryan External
On Point, WBUR. July 24, 2008 (45:47)
Poet Kay Ryan On Words, Writing External
All Things Considered, NPR. July 20, 2008 (5:33)
Dana Gioia and Kay Ryan External
Literary Friendships with Garrison Keillor. March 4, 2005 (58:50)

Podcasts and other non-radio audio recordings featuring Kay Ryan are listed below.

"The Best of It" External
Recording from the Key West Literary Seminar. January 2010. (29:52)
"Abusing Animals in the Name of Poetry" External
Poetry Off the Shelf, Poetry Foundation. May 1, 2008. (10:39)
"Kay Ryan on Robert Frost" External
Poetry Off the Shelf, Poetry Foundation. September 19, 2007. (14:14)

Many videos of Kay Ryan reading and discussing his work can be found through the following sources listed below.

YouTube Videos External
YouTube video results for Kay Ryan.
Kay Ryan with Atsuro Riley External
Lannan Foundation. April 13, 2011 (52:34)
A Conversation with Kay Ryan, U.S. Poet Laureate and James Billington, Librarian of Congress External
The Charlie Rose Show. November 6, 2008 (21:29)
Casa Romantica - Kay Ryan External
Ryan reads from The Niagara River at a Casa Romantica Reading Series appearance, San Clemente. CA, April 30, 2008. (9:48)
The Poet's View - Kay Ryan on Her Poem "Home to Roost" External
The Academy of American Poets. June 22, 2008 (2:47)
Jennifer Egan, Kay Ryan Among Pulitzer Prize Winners External
PBS NewsHour. April 18, 2011 (4:19)

Articles and essays by Kay Ryan appear below.

"Marin County, Sort Of" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, November 2009)
"I Demand to Speak with God" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, September 2007)
"Sweet Talk" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, February 2007)
"Laugh While You Can: A Consideration of Poetry" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, May 2006)
"William Bronk" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, March 2006)
Reviews Dan Chiasson's Natural History: Poems External
The New York Times. November 20, 2005.
"I Go to AWP" External
Poetry Foundation (originally published in Poetry, July 2005)
"The Double" External
Poetry Foundation Web site (originally published in Poetry, April 2005)

Kay Ryan, U.S. Poet Laureate: A Resource Guide

General Inquiries: Ask a Librarian

External Websites

Selected Articles, News, and Interviews

Poetry Reviews

Erratic Facts (2015)

The Best of It: New and Selected Poems (2010)

The Niagara River (2005)

Say Uncle (2000)

Elephant Rocks (1996)

Prose

Synthesizing Gravity: Selected Prose (2020)