| Poet Laureate of Alabama | |
|---|---|
Incumbent Ashley M. Jones since 2021 | |
| Type | Poet Laureate |
| Formation | 1930 |
| First holder | Samuel Minturn Peck |
The Poet Laureate of Alabama is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Alabama. The position was established in 1931 by an act of the Alabama Legislature. Poets Laureate, who must have been Alabama residents for at least 15 years, are chosen by the governor, and serve 4-year terms. [1]
 | This poetry-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Alabama-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) of Arezzo were the first to be crowned poets laureate after the classical age, respectively in 1315 and 1342. In Britain, the term dates from the appointment of Bernard André by Henry VII of England. The royal office of Poet Laureate in England dates from the appointment of John Dryden in 1668.
Rita Frances Dove is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the position was created by an act of Congress in 1986 from the previous "consultant in poetry" position (1937–86). Dove also received an appointment as "special consultant in poetry" for the Library of Congress's bicentennial year from 1999 to 2000. Dove is the second African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, in 1987, and she served as the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. Since 1989, she has been teaching at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she held the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English from 1993 to 2020; as of 2020, she holds the chair of Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing.
Anselm Paul Alexis Hollo was a Finnish poet and translator. He lived in the United States from 1967 until his death in January 2013.
Philip Levine was an American poet best known for his poems about working-class Detroit. He taught for more than thirty years in the English department of California State University, Fresno and held teaching positions at other universities as well. He served on the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets from 2000 to 2006, and was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States for 2011–2012.
Natasha Trethewey is an American poet who served as United States Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014. She won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her 2006 collection Native Guard, and is a former Poet Laureate of Mississippi.
The Poet Laureate of Tennessee is the official state poet of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The position was established in 1971–1972 by an act of the General Assembly of the state of Tennessee.
The Poet Laureate of Texas is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Texas.
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate, serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The position was modeled on the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. Begun in 1937, and formerly known as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, the present title was devised and authorized by an Act of Congress in 1985. Appointed by the Librarian of Congress, the poet laureate's office is administered by the Center for the Book. For children's poets, the Poetry Foundation awards the Young People's Poet Laureate.
Nathan Brown is an author, singer-songwriter, and award-winning poet who served as the Oklahoma Poet Laureate from 2013 to 2014.
The Poet Laureate of Oklahoma is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Ashley Michelle Jones is an American poet and activist. She is the first Black Poet Laureate of Alabama (2022–2026) and the youngest person to hold this position. She is the Associate Director of the University Honors Program at UAB and a Core faculty member at Converse University’s MFA Program. Her poetry explores the impact the Deep South has on Black individuals and aspires to expose Black stories that were left behind due to Alabama’s historical enslavement of Black men and women. She is the author of three books: Magic City Gospel, dark//thing, and Reparations Now!.
The Poet Laureate of Connecticut is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Connecticut. The Poet Laureate of Connecticut was established in 1985 by Public Act 85-221 of the Connecticut General Assembly. Five-year residents of the state with a demonstrated career in poetry are eligible for the honorary appointment as an advocate for poetry and literary arts.
The Poet Laureate of Idaho or Writer in Residence is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Idaho. After 1982 the title was changed to Writer in Residence.
The Poet Laureate of Maine is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Maine. The Maine State Poet Laureate is appointed by the governor for a 5 year term, and the program is managed by the Maine Arts Commission. The program was established in 1995 via Maine Public Law 1995, Chapter 264 and codified via Maine Revised Statutes, Title 27, Chapter 15, Subchapter 2.
The Poet Laureate of Wyoming is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Wyoming. The position of Poet Laureate was created by executive order in 1981 with a variable term of service. The post became a customary two-year term starting on statehood day.
The Poet Laureate of Montana is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Montana. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer signed Senate Bill 69 into law in 2005, creating the position.
The Poet Laureate of Minnesota is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Minnesota.
The Poet Laureate of New Hampshire is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of New Hampshire.
Jennifer Horne is an American writer of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction who served as the Poet Laureate of Alabama from 2017 to 2021.
