"As Coloradans, we celebrate the arts, and selecting a new poet laureate is, itself, an act of celebration. May the words contained in this volume bring you both the light of understanding and an abiding love for the beauty of life’s mysteries."
—Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado
"Deeply rooted in place and spiraling outwards, Begin Where You Are documents Colorado through the lens of its most prominent poetic voices while still beckoning an ever-expansive future."
—Kinsale Drake, Winner of the 2023 National Poetry Series
“If Andrea Gibson is any model of what a poet laureate can give to a community, then we need a million pages of these poems.”
—adrienne maree brown, writer, activist and facilitator
Begin Where You Are: The Colorado Poets Laureate Anthology is a book of firsts. It is the first ever US state poet laureate anthology. It is the first poetry collection featuring all ten Colorado poets laureate (the second oldest state poet laureateship, established in 1919). And it is the first place readers can discover unpublished poems by Andrea Gibson—bestselling author and one of the most influential spoken word artists of our generation. This book contains celebrated works from Thomas Hornsby Ferril and others, alongside never-before-published pieces from Bobby LeFebre, Joseph Hutchison, David Mason, and Mary Crow. Contemporary poets offer perspectives on how serving as Colorado poet laureate shaped their writing and worlds. Spearheaded by award-winning social entrepreneur Turner Wyatt, this book is a movement with a mission: A portion of the proceeds will fund poetry programming in underserved Colorado schools, libraries, and rural areas, making each purchase an investment in expanding access to this essential art form.
Featured poets: Andrea Gibson, Bobby LeFebre, Joseph Hutchison, David Mason, Mary Crow, Thomas Hornsby Ferril, Milford E. Shields, Margaret Clyde Robertson, Nellie Burget Miller, Alice Polk Hill
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To support this book and it's mission to enhance equitable access to poetry across the state, please consider donating to the Colorado Poets Laureate Anthology
