Cathy's crowning

I promise to make this my last Cathy Smith Bowers post for a day or two, at least, but the North Carolina Arts Council now has uploaded to YouTube video of the ceremony that marked the transition from Kay Byer's tenure as Poet Laureate to Cathy's - and a video, recorded earlier, of her reading her poem "Snow", as well.

A few links for the new laureate ...

Kathryn Stripling Byer, now the former Poet Laureate of the Old North State, has a nice appreciation of new Laureate Cathy Smith Bowers up on her Laureate's blog, written on the occasion of her selection of Cathy as one of her "Poets of the Week" in October, 2009. As she puts it,

[Cathy Smith Bowers] is one of the finest poets writing today ... her work fuses narrative with exquisite lyricism, as well as wit and vulnerability.

She also helpfully provides the texts of two of Cathy's poems from The Candle I Hold Up to See You, "Cool Radio" and "Solace", which give evidence of the complex interplay of passion, compassion, and humor that defines the tonal center of her work.

Kay also has a note up today on the announcement of Cathy's selection to succeed her (though Cathy won't, as it turns out, be taking over the "Laureate's Lasso" blog that Kay has done so much good work on, but will be starting her own blog in the new few weeks).

Wendi Loomis, who's also from Cathy's hometown of Tryon, has an interview from 2008 at her Jazz and Poetry site that explores, among other things, the life transition that brought Cathy to Tryon.

More to come.

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Photo: Kay and Cathy get together at Kay's studio in Sylva to discuss the laureateship.

Now it can be told: NC has a new Poet Laureate

Today the Governor's office put out a press release announcing the appointment of Cathy Smith Bowers as North Carolina's new Poet Laureate:


Beverly Eaves Perdue

Governor

State of North Carolina

Office of the Governor

20301 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

January 29, 2010

Contact: Chrissy Pearson

(919) 733-5612

Gov. Perdue Appoints Cathy Smith Bowers as the New State Poet Laureate

RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue announced today the appointment of Cathy Smith Bowers of Tryon as North Carolina’s Poet Laureate. Smith Bowers will be installed at a ceremony scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 4:30 p.m. at the State Capitol. The ceremony is open to the public.

“Cathy’s powerful poems open new avenues of thought, and are a reflection of the love of words and learning. She believes poetry inspires and instructs North Carolinians of all ages,” Gov. Perdue said.

Smith Bowers teaches in the UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and in the M.F.A. program at Queens University of Charlotte where she received the 2002 J.B. Fuqua Distinguished Educator Award. She also received the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Award given by the North Carolina Poetry Society in 2006 and 2007. Smith Bowers received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

She is the author of four poetry collections: The Love That Ended Yesterday in Texas, Texas Tech University Press, 1992; Traveling in Time of Danger, Iris Press, 1999; A Book of Minutes, Iris Press, 2004; The Candle I Hold Up To See You, Iris Press, 2009.

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Readers of Natures will perhaps recollect previous posts on Cathy's work, and her appearances on Wordplay, here here and here. I've been a fan since my first encounter with her work, and, though I'm no doubt biased, believe the governor has made an excellent appointment.

The state's been without a Poet Laureate since June, 2009, which marked the end of former Laureate Kay Byer's fantastic - and extended - term.

Word was that the state would not appoint a new one, given the budgetary difficulties it has experienced in the on-going economic calamity. The Arts Council announced in September, though, that it was accepting nominations, and, fortunately for poetry in the Tarheel world, it has now selected its poet.

Curious sightings in Sylva ...

Thomas Rain Crowe wrote last Wednesday:

the Jackson Co. grapevine has been working overtime and....the word has reached Tuckasegee that you were downtown around noon today with a "beautiful tall blonde woman" and looking very happy--as in having a good time. Then someone I know ran into Kay Byer at Ingles, who proceeded to tell the tale of Jeff Davis and his new girlfriend who, oddly, has the same initials as our new poet laureate. Hmmm... I said to myself. That explains the request for the jakoosi and the upscale B&B and a good restaurant. So, are you keeping secrets from your poet-friends? You ole dog, you.

Well, arf; for now, though, I'm sworn to secrecy - the Jackson County grapevine, though, is impressive. More soon.
















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Update 29 January, 2010: Edited to remove a small elision required by the need for secrecy at the time of the original post.