Many of the states in the United States have established the post of poet laureate to which a prominent poet residing in the respective state is appointed. The responsibilities of the state poets laureate are similar to those of the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and the equivalent Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in the United States, to make public appearances at poetry readings or literary events, and to promote awareness of poetry within their geographical region.

As of 2017^[update], 46 states and the District of Columbia have poets laureate, although a few are presently vacant. The terms can vary in length from state to state. Most states appoint a poet laureate for a one- or two-year term, fewer to several years, and some states appoint a poet to a lifetime tenure. Two states, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, previously had such posts but abolished them in 2003.^[1][2] Michigan had a single poet laureate from 1952 to 1959.^[3] There has never been an official State Poet Laureate in Massachusetts.^[4] While Idaho does not have a post of "poet laureate", per se, the state appoints a "Writer in Residence", which can be held by a novelist or poet.^[5] Alaska has similarly expanded their program to include other genres of writing, calling the program the Alaska State Writer Laureate.^[6] The state of New York has both a State Poet and a State Author.^[7]

List of state poets laureate

The following lists of state poets laureate below are divided by state. The name of the current poet laureate is in bold.

Alabama

The current poet laureate of Alabama is Ashley M. Jones. Alabama has had an official poet laureate since 1930. The Alabama Writer's Cooperative (formerly the Alabama Writers' Conclave), described as "a voluntary organization of Alabama historians, playwrights, fiction writers, poets, and newspaper writers" first recommended Samuel Minturn Peck to Governor Bibb Graves. The state legislature approved a bill to create the office on March 5, 1931.^[8][9] After the death of Dr. Peck, the position was not filled and was revived in 1954 due to the efforts Mary B. Ward, the president of the Alabama Writer's Conclave, who became the state's second laureate.^[9]

At present, a poet selected must have been an Alabama resident for at least 15 years prior to the appointment, and when commissioned by the governor, is appointed to serve one four-year term.^[9] Before 1983, neither the organization or the state statute provided for a specific term length.^[9] The Alabama Writers' Cooperative will recommend candidate who is elected by the organization's membership at its annual meeting.^[9] The governor subsequently commissions the candidate.^[9] A candidate for poet laureate need not be a member of the Alabama Writers' Cooperative to be nominated or selected.^[9]

#	Poet laureate	Term began	Term ended	Appointed by	Notes
1	Samuel Minturn Peck (died 1938)	12 June 1930	3 May 1938 (death)	Gov. Bibb Graves	[9]
2	Mary B. Ward	21 November 1954	1958	Gov. Gordon Persons	[9]
3	Elbert Calvin Henderson (1903–1974)	21 December 1959	15 September 1974 (death)	Gov. John Patterson	[9]
4	William Young Elliott (1902–1997)	August 1975	1982	Gov. George Wallace	[9]
5	Carl Patrick Morton (1920–1994)	1983	1987	Lt. Gov. William Baxley	[9]
6	Morton Dennison Prouty, Jr. (died 1992)	1988	1991	Gov. H. Guy Hunt	[9]
7	Ralph Hammond	1992	1995	Gov. H. Guy Hunt	[9]
8	Helen Friedman Blackshear (1911–2003)	1 January 1995	1999	Gov. Jim Folsom, Jr.	[9]
9	Helen Norris	1999	2003	Gov. Don Siegelman	[9]
10	Sue Walker	August 2003	December 2012	Gov. Bob Riley	[9]
11	Andrew Glaze	2013	7 February 2016 (death)	Gov. Robert J. Bentley	[9]
12	Jennifer Horne	2017	2021	Gov. Kay Ivey	[10]
13	Ashley M. Jones	2021	Present	Gov. Kay Ivey	[11]

Alaska

Originally created as the position of Poet Laureate in 1963 (House Resolution 25). The official name was changed in 1996 to recognize and honor all genres of writing. The position is selected by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.^[12] Poets laureate of Alaska include:^[6]

• Margaret Mielke (1963-1965)
• Oliver Everette (1965-1967)
• John Haines (1969)
• Ruben Gaines (1973)
• Sheila Nickerson (1977)
• Richard Dauenhauer (1981)
• Joanne Townsend (1988)
• Tom Sexton (1995)
• Richard Nelson (2000)
• Anne Hanley (2002-2004)
• Jerah Chadwick (2004-2006)
• John Straley (2006-2008)
• Nancy Lord (2008-2010)
• Peggy Shumaker (2010-2012)
• Nora Marks Dauenhauer (2012-2014)
• Frank Soos (2014-2016)
• Ernestine Hayes (2016-2018)

Arizona

The state of Arizona established a state Poet Laureate position in 2013, appointing Alberto Ríos as the inaugural Poet Laureate.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Arkansas

Charles T. Davis was the first until his death on December 21, 1945. The position was vacant from 1946 until 1953, when Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni was appointed. Upon Marinoni’s death in 1970, Governor Winthrop Rockefeller named Ercil Brown interim laureate. When legislature reconvened, three candidates had emerged: Anna Nash Yarborough, Lily Peter, and Brown. The legislature declined to decide and instead in 1971 passed Act 90, which assigned the responsibility to the governor. Governor Dale Bumpers announced Lily Peter’s appointment on October 6, 1971. Following Peter’s death, Verna Lee Hinegardner was appointed by Governor Bill Clinton on October 4, 1991, serving until 2003. In 2003, Governor Mike Huckabee appointed Peggy Vining. Before this time, the poet laureateship had been considered a life appointment and publicity ensued but in the end the appointment stood. Peggy Vining served as Poet Laureate from 2003 until her death in 2017. The Legislature changed the term for Arkansas Poet Laureate during 2017 to 4 years. The current Poet Laureate of Arkansas is Suzanne Underwood Rhodes, who was appointed to a four-year term in 2022.^{[17][18][19][20]}

Poets laureate of Arkansas:^[18][19][20]

• Charles T. Davis (1923-1945)
• Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni (1953-1970)
• Ercil Brown (interim appointee, 1970-1971)
• Lily Peter (1971-1991)
• Verna Lee Hinegardner (1991-2003)
• Peggy Vining (2003-2017)
• Jo Garret McDougall (2018-2022)
• Suzanne Underwood Rhodes (2022–present)^[17]

California

The position is currently held by Lee Herrick, appointed in November 2022 by Governor Gavin Newsom.^[21]

Colorado

Colorado Poets Laureate are appointed to four-year terms. They are nominated by Colorado Creative Industries and Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, and chosen by the Governor.^[22] The State of Colorado also appointed singer/songwriter writer John Denver in 1974.^[23]

The following have held the position:^[24][25]

• Alice Polk Hill (1919-1921)
• Nellie Burget Miller (1923-1952)
• Margaret Clyde Robinson (1952-1954)
• Milford E. Shields (1954-1975)
• Thomas Hornsby Ferril (1979-1988)
• Mary Crow (1996-2010)
• David Mason (2010-2014)
• Joseph Hutchison (2014-2019)
• Bobby LeFebre (2019-2023)
• Andrea Gibson (2023–present)

Connecticut

The Poet Laureate of Connecticut was established in 1985 by Public Act 85-221 of the Connecticut General Assembly.^[26] Five-year residents of the state with a demonstrated career in poetry are eligible for the honorary appointment as an advocate for poetry and literary arts.^[27]

The following have held the position:^[26][27]

• James Merill (1985–1995)
• Leo Connellan (1996–2001)
• Marilyn Nelson (2001–2007)
• John Hollander (2007–2009)
• Dick Allen (2010–2015)
• Rennie McQuilkin (2015–2018)
• Margaret Gibson (2019–2022)
• Antoinette Brim-Bell (2022 - 2025)^[27]

Delaware

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=List_of_U.S._states'_Poets_Laureate
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