Latest news with #PoetLaureate
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Is this book a breakup memoir? A murder mystery? Both?
Almost two decades ago, while I was trying to find my footing as a writer — roving between the provinces of prose and poetry — I picked up 'The Poetry Home Repair Manual' by Ted Kooser, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who served as poet laureate of the United States from 2004 to 2006. In the years since, I've often pulled it down from my bookshelf to reread one line: 'A carefully controlled metaphor, like any clearly observed association of two dissimilar things or events, can excite the responses of readers because it gives them a glimpse of an order that they might not otherwise have become aware of.'
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
‘Enriching' opportunity for Poet Laureate
In his last months as New Zealand's Poet Laureate, Chris Tse has been connecting with fellow laureates and poets in Europe. Back home to talk about his experiences and share his knowledge in Queenstown, Tse talks to Rebecca Fox about his journey. For a long time, poetry has been something Chris Tse did on the side. "A passion for sure, but I never imagined it could become such a big part of my day-to-day life." But being named New Zealand's 13th Poet Laureate in 2022, a role given to a highly regarded poet — previous holders have been Vincent O'Sullivan, Cilla McQueen and David Eggleton — to raise the profile and promote poetry, changed Tse's life. It is an award Tse, author of How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes (winner of the 2016 Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry), HE'S SO MASC and Super Model Minority (a finalist for the 2023 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry and long-listed at the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards), struggled to grasp at the time. "I'm still astonished that I was bestowed with this role and got to follow in the footsteps of poets who have been a huge influence on me." His inauguration as Poet Laureate at Matahiwi Marae, Hawke's Bay, still rates as a top highlight of his time in the role. "It was where I was presented with my tokotoko [ceremonial walking stick] — a very overwhelming and emotional moment." It led to a very busy but "enriching" three years for Tse, who until recently juggled the role with his communications job of 12 years. He left the job to focus on the end of his term as laureate and take up some other opportunities. Most recently, he has represented New Zealand at the 55th Poetry International Festival in Rotterdam and Dichters in de Prinsentuin (Poets in the Prince's Garden) in Groningen. "I've been honoured that being in this role has allowed me to represent New Zealand on a world stage and to promote New Zealand's world-class poets and writers to new international audiences." As the theme at the Poetry International was "Laureates and Legends", Tse got to perform alongside and meet poets from around the world, including the poet laureates Babs Gons, of the Netherlands, Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, of Liberia, Simon Armitage, of the United Kingdom, Kwame Dawes, of Jamaica, and Esther Phillips, of Barbados, as well as Somali-British writer and poet Warsan Shire. "I always joke that I'm a theatre kid at heart because I love the thrill of getting on stage and getting that immediate response from the audience. It's my favourite part of being a poet because it goes back to the origins of poetry being a form of oral storytelling and forging connections between people." He also loves hearing other poets perform. "It can give you some new insight into their poetry, even if you have read it dozens of times yourself. There are little things like where they pause or which words they emphasise when they perform that can change how you interpret them." He finds attending festivals gives him a renewed perspective on the importance of New Zealand stories and how interested people are in the country and its writers. "I often go to these festivals thinking no-one is going to be interested in me because I'll be unfamiliar to them, but I'm always pleasantly surprised when I get a full house or have people hanging around afterwards to talk to me or get books signed." Tse has also received commissions to write during his time as laureate for events and other occasions, which has resulted in him writing about topics he never thought he would write about — like soccer. "I've also been thinking and writing a lot about joy — particularly queer and POC [persons of colour] joy, and how we hold on to joy and hope in times of ecological, social and political crisis." During his time as laureate, he has also had the opportunity to travel to the United States as the 2024 fellow of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program Fall Residency and was the 2025 Dutch Foundation for Literature writer in residence. The ability to travel has been wonderful for Tse, but it is the new connections he has made with fellow poets and audiences that have meant the most to him. "I'm so grateful for all the opportunities I've had during my term — I know I'm very lucky to have been in this role at a relatively early stage in my career." Tse's poetry journey began in the last years of high school, as his friends were writing poetry, but he had always loved writing and storytelling in its many forms — scripts, song lyrics and poetry. "It's no surprise to me that I've followed that interest in my adult life." When he discovered he could study creative writing at university alongside "practical" film papers, he grabbed the opportunity. "Knowing that this could be a focus of my university studies really encouraged me to try and write more while I had the chance, because I wasn't sure I'd end up having a career in the arts." His dream job as a child was to be a teacher. "In some ways I've gotten to live out that dream by teaching creative writing workshops and giving presentations to students about poetry." But once he completed his degree, he ended up working in publishing and then in communications — jobs where he has been able to use his writing skills and be creative. However, poetry has always been part of his life. He enjoys the potential it has to let the writer be very loose and experiment with language as well as the constraints of more traditional forms. "Poetry appeals to me because it challenges me to be concise with what I'm trying to describe or convey to the readers." Reading and writing poetry has also become "synonymous with untangling the many strands" of his identity. "It's how I process what's happening in the world and my place in it." His work is inspired by many things — from current events to things that catch his eye or ear, like pop songs or art that remind him of an experience or a feeling he has had. "I guess being a poet has led me to be curious and interested in the connections and relationships between people, objects and ideas." However, it has not been an easy journey. He had been trying to get his work published for a couple of years before a breakthrough at the end of 2005, when he had his first poems published in journals. Getting his first collection published took time, as parts of it were started during his MA in creative writing in 2005. He revised it over the next few years before Auckland University Press picked it up in 2014. "Writing a collection and getting it in front of a publisher is a long game that requires patience and perseverance. For me, it's been a long journey with a lot of failure and rejection, and learning from my mistakes." But he also believes publishing a book is not the "be all and end all" of being a successful poet. "If it is something you want to pursue you should take your time. Looking back, I'm glad it took me a while to have my first book published — I needed the time to grow as a person and develop my craft." Super Model Minority , published shortly before he became laureate, is a book he is very proud of. "It's an honest and fiery book, and I feel I finally landed a poetic vision that is 'me'." But he is really excited about the new poems he has written that he hopes will form part of his next book. "Some of them still deal with difficult subject matter, but I've rediscovered the fun side of writing poems and letting myself be a little more messy and focus less on perfection." Tse also enjoys writing essays and articles and has had a few short stories published, but they take him a lot longer to write. "I write in a very fractured way that suits how I write poetry but perhaps not something long form." It involves lots of notes and ideas jotted down for lines and images that he revisits later, when he is somewhere quiet with very few distractions — his phone is left in another room. "If anything might work in a poem I'm working on or perhaps they might inspire me to start something new — I tend to write in a non-linear fashion so a lot of my process is figuring out how to fill in the blanks between the lines or connect disparate ideas together. It's not the tidiest of processes but it works for me." As being a writer often means spending a lot of time on his own, Tse enjoys connecting with other writers as it can help him work through problems in his work, or they can learn from each other. He has been involved in Freya Daly Sadgrove's Show Ponies, which aims to disrupt expectations of what a poetry performance could look and sound like, and Slow Currents, which enables him to connect with and learn from fellow Asian diaspora writers. "Being part of these two groups has challenged me as a writer and performer, and encouraged me to be more courageous and daring." Tse is looking forward to returning to the South, a region he has only recently begun visiting, this time as a guest of the Arrowtown Creative Art Society and Queenstown Writers Festival. To see An Evening with the Poet Laureate, The Sherwood, Queenstown, August 8, 7.30; Poetry Masterclass with Chris Tse, Te Atamira, Frankton, August 9, 10am-noon.
Hindustan Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Andrea Gibson's lasting impact: How their poetry transformed the LGBTQ+ movement
A trailblazing voice in modern poetry, Andrea Gibson passed away at 49 in their Boulder, Colorado home due to ovarian cancer, reports CBC. Known for blending raw emotion with activism, Gibson gave voice to the often-unspoken: gender, illness, heartbreak, healing, always with a truth that left a lasting impression. Their work wasn't just art; it was a lifeline for many who finally felt seen. Gibson identified as non-binary, used they/them pronouns and spent their life pushing language to hold more love, more honesty. They leave behind their wife, poet Megan Falley, former partners, family, close friends and their beloved dogs. Here's how their work transformed the LGBTQ+ movement. It was in 2023 that Andrea Gibson was named Colorado's Poet Laureate(andreagibson/Instagram) A poet of fierce truth For the unaware, Gibson's work was never passive. For over two decades, they captured what it meant to live with courage and tenderness, writing about queerness, grief, gender and love with unflinching truth. Their words were a remedy for those in need. Books like You Better Be Lightning, The Madness Vase and Lord of the Butterflies became lifelines for many LGBTQ+ individuals. ALSO READ: Andrea Gibson cause of death: Popular Colorado poet dies at 49, tributes pour in How Andrea Gibson brought change Reportedly, apart from poetry, Gibson performed for nearly a decade with Vox Feminista, a radical feminist performance collective driven by cultural change. Their words were bold, but their actions spoke louder – they were also part of LGBTQ+ groups and events like Take Back the Night. In 2013, Gibson and Kelsey Gibb launched Stay Here With Me, an online safe space offering communal care for those fighting to make it through one more day. Recognition – a voice for the marginalized It was in 2023 that Andrea Gibson was named Colorado's Poet Laureate, a powerful recognition of their lifelong work blending activism and poetry to transform culture, reports The Daily Jagran. FYI, born in 1975 in Calais, Maine, Andrea found their voice after moving to Boulder in 1999. From open mics to national slam stages, they earned acclaim and community. ALSO READ: Guru Dutt's tragic affair with life, and Bollywood FAQs What happened to Andrea Gibson? Andrea Gibson died on July 14, 2025, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer. What pronouns does Andrea Gibson use? Gibson identified as non-binary and used they/them pronouns. Where can I watch the Andrea Gibson movie? Their documentary, Come See Me in the Good Light, will stream on Apple TV+ this fall. What kind of cancer did Andrea Gibson have? They were diagnosed in August 2021 with advanced ovarian cancer, which later returned in 2023.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Colorado's poet laureate Andrea Gibson dies at 49, leaves ‘Love Letter from the Afterlife'
Andrea Gibson, award-winning poet, activist, and Colorado's Poet Laureate, died on July 14, 2025, at the age of 49. They passed peacefully at home in Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by their wife Meg, family, close friends, and their three beloved dogs. In the months leading up to their death, Gibson, who was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in 2021, had been writing about mortality, joy, and the intimacy of impermanence. 'Since learning they had cancer in 2021, Andrea has been a champion of finding beauty in unlikely places and gratitude in the hardest hours. Over the last four years, they danced with their diagnosis, and continually aimed their internal compass toward joy,' their wife Meg wrote on Facebook. But perhaps no piece encapsulates their spirit more than the piece they published on their Substack in December 2023, titled 'Love Letter from the Afterlife.' Written during the holiday season for those grappling with loss, the poem has become, since the announcement of Gibson's death, a spiritual farewell to readers, listeners, and loved ones alike. 'Dying is the opposite of leaving,' the piece begins, reimagining death not as absence, but as presence magnified. Originally inspired by a message from their late grandmother, who told Gibson, 'I am more here than I ever was before,' the poem carries the voice of someone who has passed but remains deeply intertwined with the lives of those they love. 'Ask me the altitude of heaven, and I will answer, 'How tall are you?'' With lines that speak of forgiveness, enduring affection, and grief transformed into grace, the piece has resonated deeply with readers around the world. 'I want to echo it through the corridor of your temples, I am more with you than I ever was before,' they write. Gibson describes death as a kind of reincarnation in the hearts of the living. 'I know it's hard to believe, but I promise it's the truth. I promise one day you will say it too— I can't believe I ever thought I could lose you.' Andrea Gibson was one of the most influential spoken word poets of their generation. Born in Calais, Maine, in 1975, they rose to national recognition through their raw, emotionally vulnerable performances and writing that tackled gender identity, queerness, mental health, love, and mortality. In 2023, Gibson was named Poet Laureate of Colorado, where they had lived since the late 1990s. They authored seven poetry collections, including You Better Be Lightning and Lord of the Butterflies, and toured internationally to packed audiences. They were also the subject of the award-winning documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, which follows Gibson and their wife Meg as they navigate love, art, and terminal illness. The film premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim and is set to air on Apple TV+ later this year. Gibson had a rare ability to connect deeply with people across backgrounds and identities. Their poetry helped LGBTQ+ youth, gave voice to those navigating grief, and offered comfort to the terminally ill. In the final years of their life, they became a beacon for how to live with joy even in the shadow of death. Their final Facebook post, which was put up by their wife after Gibson passed away, reads: 'Whenever I leave this world, whether it's sixty years from now, I wouldn't want anyone to say I lost some battle. I'll be a winner that day.' On July 14, at 4:16 am, Andrea Gibson was a winner. Though they deeply wished for more time, those close to Gibson say they found peace and presence in their final days. They lived fully until the end, writing, laughing, creating, and surrounding themselves with chosen family. In their final letter to the world, Andrea Gibson assures us that love, once given, never leaves. The poem now stands as both a farewell and a promise: that the people we lose remain with us, folded into every breath, every sunrise, every poem.
CBS News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Poet Laureate of Colorado Andrea Gibson passes away at 49
The award-winning Poet Laureate of Colorado, Andrea Gibson, died Monday morning, according to a Facebook post by their family. Andrea Gibson was a poet, author and ambassador of the arts. Gibson became the state's 10th Poet Laureate in 2023, with six full-length collections of poetry as well as two Independent Publishers Awards. They also won the first Women's World Poetry Slam and were selected as a finalist for three Goodreads Choice Awards. Many of Gibson's works included their treatment journey after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. Gibson said, "I spent so much time writing about what was wrong with the world, now I write about what I dream the world can be." A post on Gibson's Facebook account Monday read, "Whenever I leave this world, whether it's 60 years from now, I wouldn't want anyone to say I lost some battle. I'll be a winner that day. Andrea Gibson was a winner today. On July 14th, at 4:16 a.m., Andrea Gibson died in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs." In a statement released Monday, Gov. Jared Polis said, "It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Andrea Gibson, an inspiring poet and Colorado's current Poet Laureate. Renowned for inspiring poetry, advocacy for arts in education and unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado, Andrea was truly one of a kind and will be deeply missed by personal friends as well as all who were touched by their poetry. My thoughts go out to Andrea's loved ones during this difficult time."
