Seeking Nominations: Arizona Poet Laureate

The nomination Period is now closed.

What Is It?

The Arizona Poet Laureate is a Governor’s appointee, established under the Arizona Commission on the Arts, whose purpose is to champion the art of American poetry, inspire an emerging generation of literary artists, and educate Arizonans about poets and authors who have influenced our state through creative literary expression.

Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination, candidates must:

  • Be of recognized stature in the literary, cultural, education, and/or academic communities;
  • Possess a significant record of high-quality published or documented work and/or service through literary arts;
  • Have resided in the state for at least 2 years from the date of nomination;
  • Live in Arizona for at least 6 months out of the calendar year;
  • Be willing and able to travel throughout the state; and
  • Be at least 18 years of age.

Ideal qualities

The ideal candidate:

Is able to uphold the responsibilities, authority, and requirements of the position;

  • Has a history of working with partners, organizational and individual, to develop and/or run programming;
  • Has a consistent history of ethical engagement with different communities, in service of community and the literary field;
  • Has significant and sustained experience with the language and/or culture of at least one of Arizona’s Tribal Nations;
  • Is an effective presenters of poetry, both in writing and in public settings;
  • Can demonstrate an understanding of, commitment to, and enthusiasm for the craft and art of poetry; and
  • Can demonstrate the ability to develop poetry in service of a specific topic or from outside input, such as community-shared information.

Terms of Office & Selection

The Arizona Poet Laureate shall serve a term of 2 years by gubernatorial appointment and may not serve more than 3 consecutive terms. The Governor shall appoint the Arizona Poet Laureate from a list of up to 3 ranked nominations provided by the Arts Commission, following a thorough panel review process.

What does the Arizona Poet Laureate Do?

Duties and expectations of the Arizona Poet Laureate include the following:

Annually (each calendar year of the two-year term)

  • Travel throughout the state, visiting both urban and rural communities, witrh an emphasis on outreach to residents who might not otherwise have ready access to presentations by professional literary artists.

Quarterly (every three months)

  • Offer public readings in at least one rural area, chosen from a list provided by the Arts Commission.
  • Provide a short written report to Governor-appointed Arts Commissioners on the previous quarter’s activities.

Throughout Term

  • Provide documentation of public readings/engagements to the Arts Commission for reporting in the agency’s social media posts, newsletters, and other public communications;
  • At request of the Arts Commission, engage in statewide projects/events, such as the Arizona American250 celebrations throughout 2026 or the Arizona Creative Excellence Awards;
  • Pursue other projects related to poetry and the literary arts that the Arizona Poet Laureate and the Arts Commission may find beneficial, including collaboration with the Poet Laureate of the United States, other states’ poets laureate, and/or other artists.

Major Literary Project

By statute, the Arizona Poet Laureate is expected to pursue a “major literary project” each two-year term. For the 2026-28 term, the Arts Commission requests the following:

  • Develop a series of poems derived from public engagements with Arizonans across the state, reflecting their perspectives of their own communities.
  • Use the development of the major literary project to educate Arizonans about poetry and literary arts.
  • In collaboration with and support from the Arts Commission, these poems will be made available in a format/formats accessible to the public.

Nominations for Poet Laureate

Who Can Nominate?

Nominations are open to the public. Self-nominations are welcome.

Where Do I Submit My Nomination?

A link to the nomination guidelines and submission form can be found on the Arizona Commission on the Arts website at https://azarts.gov/programs/arizona-poet-laureate/.