Poetry is an art of attention. But sometimes the more attention we pay to the world, the more astonishing and confusing it can be. The medical researcher Jonas Salk said: "What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question." Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall believes this also holds true for poetry. What images do we see each day that excite our minds? What sounds do we hear that awaken our hearts? What poems ask for our attention and reward us with discovery? This presentation will use poetry to create surprises, explore our curiosities, and find new questions.

Professor Traci Brimhall is the author of four poetry collections, most recently Come Slumberless to the Land of Nod (Copper Canyon Press). Her poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, Poetry, Orion, and Best American Poetry. She received the 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry, among numerous other awards. She was named Poet Laureate of Kansas in 2023, and her term continues through 2026. The Poet Laureate of Kansas promotes the arts as a public resource for all Kansans.

This is a hybrid program: Attend in person at the library; register for the Zoom Webinar simulcast; or head to the NPL Facebook page at the time of the event for a livestream.