Aggie Poet Laureate
The Creative Writing Program and the Bluford Library of North Carolina A&T jointly host a competitive competition for the selection of N.C. A&T’s Aggie Poet Laureate: A Consultant in Poetry. A Poet Laureate could be thought of as an ambassador of poetry who raises the consciousness of the community to poetry and its value both written and spoken.
During the tenure, the Aggie Poet Laureate will give public readings and initiate projects to help promote poetry awareness and literacy. The Poet Laureate will serve a term of one (1) year from April to April. Ms. Essence Connor-Barringer is the current Aggie Poet Laureate for the 2023-2024 academic year. If you are interested in booking the Aggie Poet Laureate, please contact Professor Yolanda Williams via email: ywilliams1@ncat.edu.
Do You Want to Become the Next Aggie Poet Laureate?
Any N.C. A&T student in GOOD academic standing is eligible to apply and serve.
- All submissions will be submitted in electronic format using Microsoft Word.
- All submissions must be received by the submission deadline (April 25, 2024) to be considered.
What does an Aggie Poet Laureate do?
If selected, the Aggie Poet Laureate must be able to perform the following duties:
An Aggie Poet Laureate is someone selected in part because of her or his achievements as a writer and should be a poet of good craftsmanship and one who has made an effort to study this craft and to hone her/his individual voice. The Poet Laureate as a community leader should be comfortable with public speaking, appearances and interviews, and should be able to speak clearly and capably. The position of Aggie Poet Laureate includes duties that involve adapting well to a variety of occasions such as writing poems for a specific occasion – to commemorate an event past or present, for example. Not only is the Aggie Poet Laureate a position of high honor, it is a position of community service. Principally, the duties of an Aggie Poet Laureate are bound by the following activities:
- Aggie Poet Laureate must give a reading or presentation to inaugurate their term.
- Aggie Poet Laureate must select a project to initiate during their term.
- Aggie Poet Laureate should be prepared to write poems for specific occasions.
- Aggie Poet Laureate must give a reading or presentation to close their term.
Essence Connor-Barringer 2023-2024
Former Aggie Poet Laureates include:
- Aris Hudson 2022-2023
- Tamia King 2020-2021
- Trinity Harris (Wrin Faith) 2019-2020
- Ebony Hagans-Greene 2018-2019
- Veronica C. Kelley 2017-2018
