The Librarian of Congress has appointed W.S. Merwin as the 17th Poet Laureate of the United States.
Merwin (pictured, via) has written for the last 60 years, winning the 2005 National Book Award and two Pulitzer Prizes. Currently, he is published by Copper Canyon Press. Last year the prestigious post was held by Kay Ryan, and other laureates have included Louise Gluck, Billy Collins, Robert Pinsky, and Rita Dove.
The Poetry Foundation has an excellent selection of his work. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington had this statement: “WMerwin is universally regarded as a premier figure in the literary world … His poems are often profound and, at the same time, accessible to a vast audience.”