Caroline Kennedy: Poetry Makes A Comeback

Caroline Kennedy, who has a new book that celebrates womanhood and poetry, says poetry was a big part of her childhood.

"Poetry is making a huge comeback. It was something that was really important in my own family," says the only surviving daughter of President Kennedy and Jackie Onassis said.

Kennedy appeared at the Union Square Barnes & Noble Tuesday night to promote her fourth anthology, "She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems." The collection features an eclectic melange of authors including Elizabeth Bishop, W.H. Auden, Anne Sexton, Lucille Clifton and Queen Elizabeth I.

"There are poems in this book that my husband read to me, my children read to me, and my mother loved," Kennedy said.

Kennedy, who has ties to the New York education system, also stressed the medium’s resurgence among younger generations.

"Poetry was passed down through generations," Kennedy said. "Things are happening more and more between people, and I think that's why poetry has a renewed relevance."

Kennedy appeared in conversation with poet and contributor Sharon Olds, who read from the book, and Poets and Writers executive director Elliot Figman.

Released last week in celebration of National Poetry Month and primed for Mother's Day, Kennedy also remarked on one curiosity when doing research on the book.

"I could hardly find any poems by women about friendship. I don't know what that says," she said with a chuckle.

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