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Ethan Coen asks President Trump to appoint him Poet Laureate

Filmmaker Ethan Coen has written to U.S. President Donald Trump asking to be made America’s Poet Laureate.
The 59-year-old writer and director, who alongside his brother and filmmaking partner Joel, 62, has won four Academy Awards, offered his services to America’s leader in a lighthearted letter published on The Huffington Post website.
“Dear President Trump,” Ethan wrote. “I ask to be considered for the position of Poet Laureate of the United States.”
Echoing Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”, the Fargo filmmaker added, “American poetry should enhance America’s greatness, but let’s be honest, Mr. President: lately the poems have been not so great.
“The Obama poet laureates were, quite frankly, a disaster. Under their leadership, very weak, much American poetry has failed even to rhyme. That’s like a chicken dinner failing to have chicken.”
Coen also took a shot at incumbent U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, joking that Trump would deport him.
Although Ethan has jokingly called on Trump to give him the role, it is technically not within a President’s power, as the Librarian of Congress appoints a writer to the role, known officially as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.
The post comes with an annual stipend of $35,000 (£28,780) a year.
Writing that he could help mend Trump’s relationship with Hollywood, he continued, “I am a writer, producer, and director in the movie industry, very widely respected – though perhaps not widely enough! Joking, but my point is that in making me Poet Laureate you would build a bridge to the Hollywood community.”
The filmmaker concluded his letter by writing that his offer was not entirely serious, but hinted that he would take up the role if asked, concluding with the words, “Joking, but in all seriousness, I am yours, Ethan Coen.”

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