They should’ve sent a poet — and Arlington County did. Courtney LeBlanc has been chosen as Arlington’s third poet laureate, a two-year position tasked with advocating “for poetry and the literary arts” while bringing poetry to a bigger audience.
LeBlanc is the award-winning author of multiple collections, including Her Whole Bright Life, which won the Jack McCarthy Book Prize.
She’s also the founder and editor-in-chief of the independent press Riot in Your Throat, and serves as a fellow at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts.
“Poetry is a dynamic form, taking the language of its time and pushing its expressive limits. And social media is changing the way we use language,” Cultural Affairs Director Michelle Isabelle-Stark said in a news release.
“It’s now easier than ever to write and share poems. Our new poet laureate will work with our community to awaken the poet in all of us.”
Katherine E. Young and Holly Karapetkova previously held the position for Arlington County.
Poets laureates are given $1,500 per year through the county’s Cultural Affairs division.
Feature image courtesy Tay Lauren Photography
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