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What is a poet laureate and why does it matter?

Dallas’ poet laureate Joaquín Zihuatanejo at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Dallas on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
Juan Figueroa
/
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas’ poet laureate Joaquín Zihuatanejo at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Dallas on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

This year, Dallas named Mag Gabbert as the city’s second poet laureate. Gabbert will serve two years in the position and follows Dallas’ inaugural poet laureate, Joaquín Zihuatanejo.

While the Dallas poet laureate position has been around since 2022, some North Texans might be wondering what it means to be a poet laureate.

Here’s what you need to know:

What is a poet laureate? 

A poet laureate is a person chosen by a governing body or organization for what they’ve achieved in poetry. They may be tasked with a number of responsibilities, including writing poetry, advocating for the literary arts, engaging the public in poetry and attending community events.

Are there different types of poet laureates? 

Yes, there are poet laureates who are appointed by cities and states. The most well-known designation is the U.S. poet laureate, who is selected by the Librarian of Congress for a one- or two-year term. The national designation is one of the highest honors in the literary arts.

Who are some notable poet laureates and what contributions have they made? 

Joy Harjo, who was appointed as U.S. poet laureate in 2019, is the first Native American to take on the role. She was born in Tulsa, Okla., and is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Harjo’s poetry often references themes of feminism, social justice, the Southwest and spirituality. She’s won a Guggenheim Fellowship and Ruth Lilly Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation.

Genny Lim is San Francisco’s first Chinese American poet laureate and was inaugurated this year. The poet, playwright, activist and performer is a native of San Francisco and author of a number of poetry collections including Paper Gods and Rebels (2013) and Child of War (2003). Her award-winning play Paper Angels follows the story of Chinese immigrants detained on Angel Island.

Glenis Redmond is the first poet laureate of Greenville, S.C. The activist, teacher and poet is a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist and has published six books of poetry, including Under the Sun (2002.) She has received South Carolina’s Governor’s Award and was inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors.

Amanda Gorman was named the inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017 and performed at the 2021 presidential inauguration. She was selected by President Joe Biden to read the poem “The Hill We Climb” and was the first poet to read at the Super Bowl.

So, Dallas has had its own poet laureates. What have they been up to? 

Dallas is one of many cities who has a poet laureate, similar to Houston, Los Angeles, Boston, San Antonio and even McAllen, Texas.

Our current poet laureate is Mag Gabbert, a professor at SMU and poet who will serve until 2026. Gabbert is the author of Sex Depression Animals, and her work can be found in The American Poetry Review, The Paris Review Daily, Copper Nickel, Guernica, The Massachusetts Review and Poetry Daily, among other publications.

The first poet laureate was Joaquín Zihuatanejo, who recently published a collection of short poems and essays called Occupy Whiteness.

Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.

This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.

Elizabeth Myong is KERA’s Arts Collaborative Reporter. She came to KERA from New York, where she worked as a CNBC fellow covering breaking news and politics. Before that, she freelanced as a features reporter for the Houston Chronicle and a modern arts reporter for Houstonia Magazine.