Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a moving, important book. But she's a terrible poet, really terrible. She's got little sense of the line and her imagery is pedestrian. She's more of a literary personality than a serious writer. The poems are expressive of her experience, but they lack art.

How about one of these venerables -- Rita Dove, Michael Harper, Martin Espada, Yusef Komunyakaa? How about someone younger like Natasha Trethewey, Sherman Alexie or Elizabeth Alexander? (Tracy K. Smith would be great for perhaps the 2nd inaugural. She's still very young.)

Any of these poets would be change we could believe in, but Maya Angelou . . . please no.

This is a terrific post. Thanks so much for sharing it. Like many parents here at TPM, I've loved reading the stories of how children have responded to this election.

My 10 year old daughter and 13 year old son have been completely absorbed in this election. It was my son who got me to read Dreams From My Father (which I later reviewed alongside Faith of My Fathers), and since last March, he and I have shared many afternoons canvassing together.

We spent Tuesday walking through the quiet neighborhoods of Bucks County, PA -- talking with voters, placing poll information on door knobs, laughing at the few caustic remarks we received from disgruntled McCain supporters.

Later that afternoon, as we were preparing to leave the headquarters for the day, I realized how much I was going to miss this campaign for all it has given me as both a citizen and a father. That sense of communal good will has been so rare in my life and yet my kids have been able to experience it first hand via the Obama campaign. It is not that they've inherited a different world -- they've worked hard for it alongside scruffy college kids and clean-pressed retirees.

A final word of congratulations, Greg, on making it into the fascinating Newsweek account of the campaign. Great job!

I've made the opposite pledge, Schrodinger. I only turn the show on to catch Chuck Todd who has real information. After the Obama victory celebration Wednesday morning, I'm turning off MJ for good. Mika is fine, but Willie is too snide and Joe asks the most leading, thick-headed questions around.

So thanks again, and rest assured, elf, there's only one tv on at a time.

On a side note, I saw a great t-shirt: Jesus was a community organizer, Pilate was a governor.