News at Eleven: [Kay] Ryan knew that there was only

one reason [James] Billington would call. She told [Carol] Adair that she did not want to do it. "I feel it's hard enough to represent myself," she says. "The idea of representing capital-P Poetry . . . It was a horrible thought. I'm not an ambassador." But the next morning she accepted. "I did that because Carol was sick. I told her all my reasons why I didn't want to do it, and she said, 'I understand, so do it for me.'"

from Newsweek: The Reluctant Poet Laureate

~~~~~~~~~~~