Kansas

Current Laureate:
Wyatt Townley

Start of Term:
May 23, 2013

Position History:
Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Arts Commission established a Kansas Poet Laureate program in 2004. According to a July 1, 2004 news release from the Office of the Governor, "the original impetus for the creation of a poet laureate post in Kansas began in response to numerous requests received at the Kansas Arts Commission and the Office of the Governor suggesting that such a position be established. Responding to those requests, the Kansas Arts Commission voted to proceed (with the approval of the Governor) in the development of guidelines for a poet laureate position. Guidelines were developed with input from Kansas poets and KAC staff research of other states’ poet laureate programs." After Gov. Sam Brownback dissolved the Kansas Arts Commission in 2012, the Kansas Humanities Council took over coordination of the Kansas Poet Laureate program.

Previous Laureates:
Jonathan Holden (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2007)
Denise Low (July 1, 2007-June 30, 2009)
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg (July 1, 2009- May 23, 2013)

Further Resources:

• Publications by Wyatt Townley in the Library's online catalog.

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