MADISON -- An author known worldwide but whose roots are found in Lac qui Parle County has become Minnesota's first poet laureate.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty bestowed the honor on Robert Bly, whom he described Wednesday as "a Minnesota treasure,'' according to the Associated Press.
According to a news release from the governor's office, Bly is the author of more than 30 books of poetry.
He is best known for his 1990 prose best seller, "Iron John: A Book About Men,'' according to the AP.
Bly has also translated Henrik Ibsen's classic play Peer Gynt, now showing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the news release states.
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But for many around Madison in Lac qui Parle County, Bly is still remembered more as the local youth whose intelligence set him apart, as did his politics as a young man. Teachers at the Madison High School, where Bly graduated in 1944, excluded his scores from the bell curve because they were so high.
In the 1960s and the 1970s, Robert and Carol Bly hosted nationally known visitors at their studio on a farm outside Madison. They held long discussions about philosophy and issues of the day, especially their opposition to the Vietnam War.
Bly was a controversial figure for his outspoken opposition to the war, and was not always appreciated when he left Madison in 1980.
Attitudes have changed. Janet Liebl, the newly appointed director of the Lac qui Parle Historical Society, said there is a lot of pride today in the area about having been the home of artists as talented as both Robert Bly and the late Carol Bly.
There is also a growing interest in Bly's history in the area, she said. In 1999 Bly donated to the Lac qui Parle County Historical Society the former schoolhouse that he had made into his studio. The Historical Society is also the keeper of the extensive collection of books from around the world that Bly had accumulated in his studio.
Liebl said the Historical Society sees ever-growing numbers of visitors eager to tour the schoolhouse, view the books that influenced his thinking, and discuss the local ties to Robert and Carol Bly.
Along with pride in Bly, many people are amazed at the many talented writers and artists who have and continue to make this area their home, she said. "This area is blessed,'' said Liebl.
