[Roger Slater]

I think Maya Angelou was a good choice because this is not a poetry prize in which we can or should insist that only the best poets be allowed to appear on our coins, but it is a tribute to the simple fact that she was widely admired for what she stood for and had become an iconic figure admired for her dignity, eloquence, and moral leadership. Yes, at the heart of all that was her writing, which allowed her to build that reputation (though actually she was best known for a prose memoir). It's a case where we can admire both the person and the writing, and there are certainly many millions of people in the US who have been made to feel good over the decision to pay her this honor in a way they would not have felt if some lesser-known poet had been chosen, even if some might videw that lesser-known as the better poet.