Sherry Chandler

Poets Laureate

Louisville novelist Sena Jeter Naslund has been appointed the 22nd Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Her induction ceremony will be held in Louisville on April 14. The winners of the Kentucky State Poetry Society’s student contest are invited to read at the ceremony, which means I’d better get cracking. I volunteered, along with several others of the Mosaic poets, to judge the Golden Galleons category and I’m proud to say we have over 90 entries.

Meanwhile, fellow KSPS member Betty Sparks has written Poets Laureate of Kentucky (Wind, 2004) to help us all fill in the gaps in our knowledge about “the official face of poetry in Kentucky.” The quotation is from Elaine Palencia’s review of the book in the new Pegasus. And if you’re like me, the gaps are plentiful and wide. Here’s more from Elaine:

Part II - the meat of the book - contains, for each laureate, a photograph, biographical sketch, and poetry sample. The poet laureates of Kentucky have been chosen from a wide range of professions, from a buyer of a seed and grain company (James Patton, Jr.) to professional writers. As might be expected, educators dominate the list. The criteria have varied widely, with some amateur poets being appointed essentially for one poem, to others who have achieved recognition for a substantial body of work. Two of our laureates, Lillie Chaffin and Lee Pennington, have been Pulitzer Prize nominees; and the fame of others, such as Jesse Stuart and James Still, has permanently transcended the regional.

This book, which began as a scrapbook hobby, contains a fascinating variety of information, from copies of the legislative resolutions appointing several of the laureates to candid snapshots and personal letters. Former Kentucky poet laureate Richard Taylor has written the introduction.

Although the history of laureates in our state and others has its absurd political side, many fine poets have served honorably and worked hard, travelling many miles, to bring poetry to the people. In late years, the center of the poetry universe has diffused and we no longer all orbit around New York City and a small stable of canon poets. For good or ill, regional presses and regional poets have become more important. After all, a Nebraska poet, Ted Kooser, has been appointed national Poet Laureate. In this new order, Betty Sparks has given us an important reference work and an opportunity to contemplate a bit of our own literary history and its meaning in the larger frame of things.

Possibly related posts:

Betty Sparks

Jane Gentry Vance, Kentucky Poet Laureate

POV on Kentucky Poet Laureate

Poet Laureate of the Blogsphere

The Poet Laureate of mtvU

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