October 30, 2023 |
Photo – Wyoming’s Poet Laureate Barbara Smith – Courtesy WY Arts Council
Governor Mark Gordon has appointed Rock Springs poet Barbara Smith as Poet Laureate. She is the ninth Poet Laureate in state history.
Smith taught for 38 years at Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) prior to her retirement in 2007. While at WWCC, she directed the Wesswick Lecture Series in the Arts and Education, bringing numerous visiting writers to the school’s campus in southwest Wyoming.
“Barbara’s poetry captures the essence of Wyoming and is instantly relatable,” Governor Gordon said. “Her work speaks to the incredible changes that have taken place in the state and across the West since the arrival of the first pioneers.”
Smith has a newly released collection of poetry – her first full-length poetry collection – titled Putting a Name on It. Her poetry and essays have been published in various collections.
The poet and teacher told the Rock Springs Miner last year that she started writing seriously after moving to the area in the 1970s. “P was working, raising a young family and trying to deal with rapid change where we were living,” she said. “I found that I could really relate to the stories of the early pioneers, my homesteading grandmothers, who faced harsh conditions, isolation, change and managed to claim this place as their own.”
The Poet Laureate position was established in Wyoming in 1981. The appointment of the Poet Laureate is at the Governor’s discretion. The Wyoming Arts Council solicits and compiles materials for consideration when requested by the Governor’s Office and works closely with the Poet Laureate on public outreach and education opportunities.
