New Louisiana Poet Laureate announced

According to a news release, Gina Ferrara, a Delgado professor and poet, will serve as the poet laureate for two years, from 2025 until 2027. She follows Alison Pelegrin’s tenure.

“Gina Ferrara’s work captures the heart and soul of Louisiana,” said First Lady of Louisiana Sharon Landry. “Through her poetry, she celebrates our communities, our stories and our culture in a way that is both heartfelt and profound. I know her tenure as Poet Laureate will inspire countless Louisianans to discover and embrace their own creative voices.”

Ferrara is an associate professor of English at Delgado Community College. She lives in New Orleans and has five poetry collections. Her latest, “Amiss,” was published by Dos Madres Press in 2023. Her work has appeared in Callaloo, The Poetry Ireland Review, Tar River, The Southern Review and was nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart award in 2024.

“Poetry dwells in all of us, and it’s often a matter of cultivation that leads to fruition,” Ferrara said. “It is about finding voice. My experience as an educator has made this my mantra and mission, whether it has been leading breast cancer survivors in a workshop or nurturing reluctant middle schoolers to write a poem. A discovered voice is something I am privileged to see.”

As Louisiana Poet Laureate, Ferrara will travel the state encouraging residents to explore and engage with poetry.

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