Al Young, from Berkeley, was named California’s new poet laureate Thursday.

Young said one of the first things he wants to do is establish a state
poetry Web site “where young and old people of all kinds of ethnicities and
backgrounds can express themselves.”

“There is a sense of urgency to talk about some of the problems
threatening our planet and threatening our species,” Young said.

“Poetry is one of our oldest human languages. It goes behind the
chattering and speaks to the heart of things.”

[Sacramento Bee]

It is necessary to register on the Sacramento Bee Web site to read this article. It’s unfortunate; you probably won’t bother, and I don’t blame you. It’s a hassle. And I don’t understand why newspapers want to make it harder for people to view the content they work so hard to deliver.