GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS
AND THE KANSAS ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCE...

 

THE 2007 POET LAUREATE OF KANSAS

 

TOPEKA, Kan. – Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Arts Commission announce Dr. Denise Low, Lawrence, as the next Poet Laureate of Kansas. Her term begins July 1, 2007, and ends June 30, 2009.

“Dr. Low is a wonderful selection for our new poet laureate,” said Governor Sebelius. “I hope her exemplary work will inspire Kansans to further explore Kansas poetry and literature.”

 

Thirty-nine states have poets laureate. Typically, the mission of the poet laureate is to develop a greater appreciation for the writing and reading of poetry which they have pursued in different ways, including holding workshops, special reading series, school programs, conferences and appearances on television. 

 

On Monday, Oct. 16, the Poet Laureate Selection Panel convened in Topeka to review submitted nominations. Nominees were scored based on the following criteria:  poetry excellence; professionalism; and their plan to advance poetry in Kansas. The commissioners of the Kansas Arts Commission have ratified the results.

Low is the interim dean of the College of Humanities and Arts at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. Her poetry has been published in books, periodicals and anthologies throughout the nation. She has also received local and national recognition from the Kansas Arts Commission, the Kansas Humanities Council, the Academy of American Poets, the Newberry Library, the Landon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
 

Dr. Low looks forward to promoting poetry in Kansas. “I want to celebrate the many readers and poets across the state who sustain a life of the mind as well as deep love for the land,” she said. 

“During these next several years, I hope to share my own excitement about poetry with our libraries, colleges, public schools, arts centers and alliances and reading groups.”

For more information on the Poet Laureate of Kansas, or Denise Low, please contact Kansas Arts Commission Public Information Officer Matt Miller at 785/368.6546 or matt@arts.state.ks.us.