A Conversation with Kevin Young

Kevin Young has authored 12 books of poetry and is the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

He is an acclaimed poet, who produces era-defining work that is moving, lyrical, and often deeply innovative, with bold juxtapositions and unexpected deconstructions of form and style. He is poetry editor of The New Yorker, where he hosts the Poetry Podcast. 

From 2005 to 2016, Young was curator of Emory's Raymond Danowski Poetry Library. He also served as Emory's curator of literary collections, making tremendous contributions in growing the collections at Emory's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. 

In this episode, Emory President Gregory L. Fenves talks with Young about his multifaceted career and the life-changing power of museums. 

Related Media 

• "Poet Kevin Young Transforms Memories, Grief into Beauty" (Atlanta Journal Constitution, 9/27/21) 
• "Lyrical Leadership: Kevin Young, a Poet Is Now Running the African American Museum"(Washington Post, 5/20/21) 
• Video: Kevin Young Poetry Reading (Emory University, 2019) 

Related Resources 

• Kevin Young Bio 
• New Yorker Poetry Podcast 
• National Museum of African American History and Culture