Current U.S. and State Poets Laureate

U.S. Poet Laureate:

Joy Harjo

Read more about the history of the U.S. Poet Laureate

State Poets Laureate:

Alabama: Jennifer Horne

Alaska: vacant

Arizona: Alberto Ríos

Arkansas: Jo McDougal

California: vacant

Colorado: Bobby LeFebre

Connecticut: Margaret Gibson

Delaware: Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills

Florida: Peter Meinke

Georgia: Chelsea Rathburn

Hawaii: Kealoha

Idaho: Diane Raptosh

Illinois: Kevin Stein

Indiana: Matthew Graham

Iowa: Mary Swander

Kansas: Kevin Rabas

Kentucky: Jeff Worley

Louisiana: John Warner Smith

Maine: Stuart Kestenbaum

Maryland: Grace Cavalieri

Massachusetts: no position

Michigan: no position

Minnesota: Joyce Sutphen

Mississippi: Beth Ann Fennelly

Missouri: Karen Craigo

Montana: Melissa Kwasny and M.L. Smoker 

Nebraska: Matt Mason

Nevada: vacant

New Hampshire: Alexandra Peary

New Jersey: no position

New Mexico: Levi Romero

New York: Alicia Ostriker

North Carolina: Jaki Shelton Green

North Dakota: Larry Wiowode

Ohio: Dave Lucas

Oklahoma: Jeanetta Calhoun Mish

Oregon: Kim Stafford

Pennsylvania: no position

Rhode Island: Tina Cane

South Carolina: Marjory Heath Wentworth

South Dakota: Lee Ann Roripaugh

Tennessee: Margaret Britton Vaughn

Texas: Emmy Pérez

Utah: Paisley Rekdal

Vermont: Mary Reufle

Virginia: Henry Hard

Washington: Claudia Castro Luna

West Virginia: Marc Harshman

Wisconsin: Margaret Rozga

Wyoming: Eugene Gagliano

Navajo Nation: Laura Tohe

Read more about the history of poets laureate positions at the Library of Congress. 

Read about starting a poet laureate position where you live.