Arizona is in the process of looking for a new poet laureate. Alberto Rios was the first person to serve in that role — his term ended last year.
Anna Needham, tribal relations manager at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, is leading the effort to find the new poet laureate. She says the job is about being able to get out to different parts of the state, teach people about poetry and develop new poems for events like Statehood Day, among other components.
Needham joined The Show to discuss how the commission goes about finding a new poet laureate.
Full conversation
ANNA NEEDHAM: It's a pretty long process just because we want to be thoughtful about it. We're being tasked for this as the commission, we are making a process where it's first an open call. And so folks across Arizona were able to nominate members of the public, but also those who are part of colleges and universities, those who are part of literary groups across the state able to share either nominating themselves or nominating others who they felt fit this position, who have that kind of high quality caliber of work and the ability to engage with communities across Arizona.
MARK BRODIE: Are you getting a lot of applications?
NEEDHAM: Yes, we actually received 31 nominations that then became 21 nominees, so there were folks who were nominated multiple times. And so from that our group of panelists actually determined seven folks who would then go on to provide more information and know that they were nominated and give us the ability to understand their full work.
BRODIE: So what criteria were you looking at when you narrowed it down from 21 to seven?
NEEDHAM: Right, so we were looking at criteria that was both based off what, you know, was established with this position originally as well as part of the governor's priorities and so this is somebody who we were looking at who had experience with engaging with communities and writing poetry from community input.
We were looking for folks who did have published work and bios and resumes who really showcase that they had that kind of longevity to their work. We were looking at who could be able to actually take on that position, especially since it involves a lot of travel, like logistically who had time to do it like who has time for this, who is somebody who has a track record of being able to put out these things because it, you know, we don't want to have somebody who can't commit to doing this type of work for Arizona, we want to make sure it's the best person for the job.
BRODIE: What's the timeline in terms of having a new poet laureate in place?
NEEDHAM: So the, the next poet laureate term starts in mid-January. So that is the timeline set in statute with what we're doing. Basically mid-August is when panelists will get together, figure out the final three that will then be sent to the governor's office, who in statute has 60 days to finalize an appointment, and then from there we will connect with them and then help them start their first term in January of 2026.
BRODIE: So the governor will ultimately pick the new person.
NEEDHAM: Yes.
BRODIE: I'm so interested about the idea that poetry, like I suppose any form of writing is so subjective, right? Like, is it good? Is it meaningful, is, does it speak to you in a certain way? Like how do you sort of grade or or judge that because how many people are on the panel, like everyone's gonna come at it with their own experience and sort of have their own opinions about it.
NEEDHAM: Yeah, no, I, I think that's the thing with arts in general, right, where it's so subjective, where, you know, we focus as an agency rather in artistic strength. Are they able to explain their practice? Are they able to connect with folks?
It's less about, you know, what preferences you have, and we discussed that with panelists of you may have a certain type of art form because you're so ingrained in that community, but these are pure artists who understand the landscape of Arizona's literary community.
They understand what it means to create poetry, and if this person is sharing, this is my process of creating poetry and how I see it can benefit this position as poet laureate, that informs the panelists on whether or not that they fit this position.
BRODIE: So to some extent, is it almost less about what they're saying in their poetry and more about how they come up with it and how they're able to explain it and maybe to an extent even defend it?
NEEDHAM: Yeah, it's, it's a thing about being able to create work that's impactful, but also explain, you know, literary devices and be able to, because this position is about empowering other folks and being able to have them be interested in creating their own poetry and being able to have self-expression, even it's not something that necessarily they would consider good, right? Like, from whatever standards you're using.
What it is about is being able to inspire folks to actually do that expression and being able to do it in a way that, you know, brings learning for folks. Are they able to actually not just necessarily create work, but be able to inspire other work to come forth?
BRODIE: I wanted to ask you about the education component because I'm, I'm wondering how much of this job is about going into schools, going into adult writing groups or just any community and exposing people to poetry who maybe haven't heard or read a lot of it and trying to get them excited about either doing their own or or listening to it elsewhere.
NEEDHAM: Yeah, that's an explicit part of that work where it's about, we actually have it where we're asking them, every three months to go to one specific rural community and probably do more, two to three is what we really want to be able to do those types of things where it can be hosted at community centers or boys and girls clubs and have maybe an open mic night.
Or we're trying to do these things of hearing from these communities, you know, for example, what's one word that you feel like sums up your community? And from that be able to have all that input become a poem that then can be made into a print, for example, that then one goes back to the community who provided that type of information and then one can go to the governor to display.
BRODIE: Interesting. Is there a component of this job where the person really needs to sort of have an understanding of Arizona itself?
NEEDHAM: Yes, it is very much a thing of if you don't know Arizona, you at least have to be enthusiastic about that. It's both enthusiasm about poetry. And then enthusiasm about Arizona because you will be in this official position, right, where it's like, if you're not interested in Arizona, you shouldn't be representing Arizona.
BRODIE: Well, and to an extent, like the poetry kind of has to represent the state, too, like you kind of, I would imagine it would be helpful to sort of have an understanding of like what this place is all about and what issues there are and what makes it tick and what its history looks like, that kind of thing.
NEEDHAM: Yes, absolutely.
