Juan Felipe Herrera has been named the 21st U.S. poet laureate by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, who said his poems "champion voices, traditions and histories, as well as a cultural perspective, which is a vital part of our larger American identity." Herrera, who is the first Mexican American hold the position, will begin his year-long tenure in September when he participates in the National Book Festival and reads from his work at the Library of Congress, the Washington Post reported. He will succeed Charles Wright.

"I'm looking forward to a whole new world--and a new me," he said. "The times now seem to be evolving with voices of color. All voices are important, and yet it seems that people of color have a lot to say, particularly if you look through the poetry of young people--a lot of questions and a lot of concerns about immigration and security issues, you name it, big questions. All this is swirling in the air."

Herrera has published several collections of poetry, including Half of the World in Light, which won the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award. His most recent book is Senegal Taxi. The Post noted that he "has also worked as an actor, playwright and musician, and he has published award-winning fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults." Herrera recently finished a two-year term as the poet laureate of California and teaches at the University of Washington.

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