Florida: Poet Laureate Program Renewed and Formalized

Soon there will be a new Florida poet laureate, the first under the auspices of the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and only the fourth since 1929. The honorary post—which had been a lifetime appointment by the governor, independent of any state agency and not statutorily defined—was formalized as a four-year position by the state legislature in 2014. The DCA partnered with the Florida Humanities Council to revive the program, dormant since 2012, drafting and advocating for legislation codifying it. In further interagency cooperation, the DCA’s Poetry Out Loud program will move to the Humanities Council so the DCA can better support the work of poet laureates as they promote reading, writing and appreciation of poetry. Meanwhile, the Humanities Council will provide travel funding to facilitate laureates’ participation in professional development workshops and other opportunities designed to inspire, encourage and educate. The DCA’s Council on Arts and Culture has nominated five poets—Peter Meinke, Lee Bennett Hopkins, James Tokley, Lola Haskins and Campbell McGrath—three of whom Secretary of State Ken Detzner will recommend to Governor Rick Scott for final selection. Find out more from DCA Operations Manager Rachelle Ashmore.