Poet Laureate of Virginia

I had a fantastic time at the 10th Annual Williamsburg Book Festival on Saturday, February 22, 2025. It was busy! There were 50 authors and 5 publishers in the Williamsburg Community Building! The book festival included genres for all readers, and the organizers also included food trucks that served delicious hot sandwiches and snacks.

After a quick trip across the state that morning, I attended the book expo and Juanita Graham’s encouraging lecture and poetry reading from her new book Find Your Voice Find Your Healing. Hers is an interactive message about being a patient listener who meets each person’s needs with careful compassion, so we can all cultivate reconciliation between loved ones throughout our nation’s fragile communities.

Afterward, I joined poets laureate emeriti Sofia Starnes, Ron Smith, and Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, along with poet Bill Glose, in a reading sponsored by the Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV) and coordinated by Kathleen Decker, PSV Eastern Regional Vice President. I am amazed by the diverse voices and styles housed in these readings.

Virginia is a state filled with festive celebrations dedicated to writing and book-making. I am thrilled to travel around the state to share poetry and support its creative writers at events like the Williamsburg Book Festival!