The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) has selected Traci Brimhall as the 2023-2026 Poet Laureate of Kansas.
Brimhall, a professor and Director of Creative Writing at Kansas State University, will become the state’s eighth Poet Laureate when her four-year term begins on January 1.
The Poet Laureate of Kansas is an honorary position of the KCAIC that promotes the arts, especially the reading and writing of poetry, for all Kansans. The program was established in 2004.
As the new Poet Laureate of Kansas, Brimhall will conduct public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations that serve communities across the state. Her plans for the laureateship will focus on connecting with Kansans through the shared experience of language, Kansas’ agricultural roots, and food.
Brimhall is the author of four poetry collections, most recently Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod (Copper Canyon Press). Her poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, Poetry, Orion, and Best American Poetry. She received the 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry, among numerous other awards.
The Poet Laureate is expected to contribute to the growth and awareness of poetry throughout the state, present at public events, participate in the annual Poetry Out Loud competition for high school students, and assist Department of Commerce staff with strengthening and expanding the literary arts ecosystem in Kansas.
The Poet Laureate programming is free of charge to all Kansas non-profit organizations. To learn more about the Poet Laureate Program, visit the Poet Laureate page on the Department of Commerce website.
