Award-winning poet Kathleen Driskell has been appointed as the Kentucky Poet Laureate for the years 2025-26 by Governor Andy Beshear. Driskell, a native of Oldham County, has published six poetry collections and has made a significant impact on the literary community in Kentucky through her work and teaching. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve the state’s literary arts community, stating that writing has given her a life she never could have imagined growing up in rural Kentucky.
Driskell’s induction will take place during the Kentucky Arts Council’s annual Kentucky Writers’ Day celebration in Frankfort. The event will feature readings by Driskell, outgoing Poet Laureate Silas House, previous poets laureate, and 2024 Kentucky Youth Poet Laureate Maira Faisal. The event, which honors the birthday of Robert Penn Warren, the first U.S. Poet Laureate and Kentucky native, is overseen by the Kentucky Arts Council.
Driskell’s appointment as the Kentucky Poet Laureate is a testament to her talent and dedication to the literary arts in the state.
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