Poet Laureate

Current Poet Laureate Lady Brion speaking at the Clifton House in Baltimore. Poet Laureate The Maryland Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate of Maryland is an honorary State position. The selected poet serves at the discretion of the Governor for up to a four-year term renewable by the Governor’s consent. The Poet Laureate provides public readings and programs for the citizens of Maryland, ensuring that people in all geographic regions of the State have access to at least one reading during the term of service. In the 18th century, Ebenezer Cooke, author of The Sot-weed Factor: Or, A Voyage to Maryland (1708), called himself Maryland’s first Poet Laureate. However, Maryland’s official Poet Laureate position was formally established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1959 (General Provisions Article, §7–317); this law authorizes the Governor to appoint a citizen of the State as Poet Laureate of Maryland. Poets Laureate have served the State since the inception of this Act in 1959. Past Poets Laureate include (in order of service): Maria B. Coker, Vincent Godfrey Burns, Lucille Clifton, Reed Whittemore, Linda Pastan, Roland Flint, Michael Collier, Michael Glaser, Stanley Plumly, Grace Cavalieri and Lady Brion. Lady Brion (2024 - Lady Brion is an international spoken word and educator. Lady Brion currently serves as the founder and executive director of the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District. In 2024 she was appointed by Governor Wes Moore as the Poet Laureate of Maryland, making her the youngest Poet Laureate in Maryland’s history and the only spoken word artist to ever hold this position. She received her in Communication and Culture from Howard University and her MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Design from the University of Baltimore. During her slam career she has won the 2016 and 2021 National Poetry Slam, the 2017 and 2019 Southern Fried Regional Slam, and the 2019 Rustbelt Regional Slam. In 2021 she became the Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion making her the number 1 ranked woman slam poet in the world. From 2022 - 2024 Lady Brion took over curating the Women of the World Poetry Slam, which was the first of its kind to be hosted in Baltimore City. In 2018, she published a book and accompanying album called With My Head Unbowed. She has performed on stages across the world, appeared on ABC and HBO and received an award from the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. Lady Brion also serves on the board of directors for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, is the Cultural Curator for a grassroots political think-tank called Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle and serves as a Public Arts Commissioner in Baltimore City. *Photo credit: Marvin Edwards Poet Laureate Information Inquiries/Questions To request the Poet Laureate's appearance at a State of Maryland event, a performance or recitations at an event where a Governor's citation or proclamation is to be presented, or an event that woud further the Poet Laureate's platform, please click here to submit an appearance request form. Please direct all other requests to Lady Brion's management at [email protected] . Press First Lady Moore Announces Lady Brion as Maryland’s 11th Poet Laureate Lady Brion is Maryland’s 11th poet laureate — and its youngest ever Former Maryland Poets Laureate 1959-1962 Maria Briscoe Coker 1962-1979 Vincent Godfrey Burns 1979-1985 Lucille Clifton 1985-1988 Reed Whittemore 1991-1995 Linda Pastan 1995-2000 Roland Flint 2001-2004 Michael Collier 2004-2008 Michael Glaser 2008-2012 Stanley Plumly 2018-2023 Grace Cavalieri