| Poet Laureate of Colorado | |
|---|---|
Incumbent Bobby LeFebre since 2019 | |
| Type | Poet Laureate |
| Formation | 1919 |
| First holder | Alice Polk Hill |
The Poet Laureate of Colorado is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Colorado. Colorado Poets Laureate are appointed to four-year terms. They are nominated by Colorado Creative Industries and Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, and chosen by the Governor. [1] The State of Colorado also appointed singer/songwriter John Denver in 1974. [2]
The following have held the position: [3] [4]
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.
The Indiana State Poet Laureate is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Indiana. Senate Enrolled Act No. 433 created the made the position effective July 1, 2005, but Indiana had a well-established unofficial position of state poet laureate since 1929. Laureates serve a two-year term. The selection of Indiana State Poet Laureate is made by the Indiana Arts Commission executive director and seven members chosen by the commission who represent institutions of higher education.
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.
Poet Laureate of Kentucky is a title awarded to a Kentucky poet by the state's Art Council. In 2013, the position was occupied by Frank X Walker, the first African-American to be so honored.
Chris Ransick was a writer of literary fiction and poetry from Colorado. Ransick was appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper as the poet laureate for the City of Denver, a post Ransick held from 2006 to 2010. He died of Pancreatic Cancer on November 4, 2019.
The Poet Laureate of Oklahoma is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
The Poet Laureate of Alaska also known as Alaska State Writer Laureate is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Alaska. The first Alaska Poet Laureate, Margaret Mielke, was appointed in 1963. The program expanded to include other kinds of writers in 1996.
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 Delaware is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Delaware. Poets are appointed to the position by the governor. Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills—twin brothers who are known as the "Twin Poets"—were appointed 17th Poets Laureate of the State of Delaware on December 13, 2015. According to the Library of Congress, they are the first co-laureates appointed by a state and the first siblings to share the position.
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 Iowa is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Iowa. The position was created July 1, 1999 by Subchapter 303.89 of the Iowa Code with a two-year renewable term.
The Poet Laureate of Illinois is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Illinois. The state's first three Poets Laureate were named at the initiative of individual governors. In 2003 the title was made into a four-year renewable award.
The Poet Laureate of Wisconsin is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position and nominating commission was created by executive order from Governor Tommy Thompson on July 31, 2000. On February 4, 2011, Governor Scott Walker discontinued state sponsorship and sent a letter to the members of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission to inform them it has been terminated. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters assumed the role of the commission May of that year.
The State Poet of Florida is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Florida. Poets Laureate of Florida are appointed by the governor and the Division of Arts and Culture. They first served lifetime, unpaid appointments, until June 20, 2014, when HB 513 established a four-year term.
The Poet Laureate of Utah is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Utah. The Utah State Poet Laureate Program was established in 1997. As a joint project of the Governor's Office and the Utah Arts Council Literature Program, the Governor appoints the Utah Poet Laureate for a five-year term.
The Poet Laureate of Vermont is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Vermont. Robert Frost was the first poet named as Laureate by Joint House Resolution 54 of the Vermont General Assembly in 1961, less than two years before his death. The current position of State Poet, a four-year appointment, was created by Executive Order 69 in 1988. In 2007, the designation was changed to Poet Laureate.
The Poet Laureate of South Dakota is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of South Dakota. The first poet laureate was appointed in 1937, and a permanent office of poet laureate of South Dakota was created by legislation in 1959. The Governor has the authority to appoint a candidate who has received a recommendation from the South Dakota State Poetry Society. The appointment was indefinite, "during the pleasure of the Governor", until 2015, when the term was set at four years. Past appointees have lifetime emeritus status.
The Poet Laureate of Louisiana is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Louisiana. Poets Laureate are selected by the governor for two years and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities manages the program.
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