I think the NYT reference is the wrong one, see elsewhere in the thread (where I grab a quote via https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/24/paul-beatty-inte

I think the NYT reference is the wrong one, see elsewhere in the thread (where I grab a quote via https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/24/paul-beatty-interview-the-sellout https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/24/paul-beatty-in...). Agreed that Walcott, as a non-US corpse, would not make a great choice for an inaugural. How about Ocean Vuong? (I am looking, in an admittedly very superficial way, for a poet who ticks some appropriate diversity boxes - I take no position on whether that is the right thing to do - is AFAIK American, and is alive. He just comes to mind as someone who is also, you know, a rather good poet.)