Writing Center director named first City of Logan Poet Laureate
Star Coulbrooke of the Utah State University Department of English has been selected as the first City of Logan Poet Laureate.
Coulbrooke, director of the USU Writing Center, will be sworn in May 19 at the City Council meeting as “the city’s official ambassador of literary culture,” according to a press release.
“I got the letter … and I’ve been walking on air ever since,” Coulbrooke said. “I’m so excited.”
The poet laureate is charged with connecting the community with poetry, including taking poetry to the elementary and secondary schools. Qualifications include a passion and connection to poetry, two qualities many of Coulbrooke’s colleagues and friends have endorsed.
“Star is a great champion of state and local arts,” wrote Shanan Ballam, adjunct professor in the English department, in an email to The Utah Statesman. “She is incredibly generous with her time and talent. She has served as a support and a mentor for hundreds of students and community members. Our city is incredibly lucky to have Star represent us as Logan City’s first poet laureate.”
Coulbrooke established and has spent the last 10 years organizing the bi-weekly poetry reading series, Helicon West. Held in the Logan City Library, readings are open and free to the public, creating a space for all writers to share their work and enjoy the work of others.
It is through Helicon West and the other poetry workshops Coulbrooke facilitates that her “unique personality really comes out,” said Susan Shapiro, associate professor of history and classics at USU.
“Star has (a) sparkling and charismatic personality, but she takes a special pleasure in mentoring other poets and allowing them to shine,” Shapiro wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman. “She has a deep and genuine love for poetry, and she would rather give others the limelight and help them experience the transformative power of poetry than draw attention to herself or her own work.”
An English department faculty member contacted the city two years ago about creating the city poet laureate position. Holly Daines of the Logan City Council suggested they apply to the city’s Fine Arts Grants program. The English department applied for a $2,000 grant to fund the position. Daines said they were awarded $500 from the city which was matched by “an individual from the university” with a personal contribution of $500.
Coulbrooke said she has many ideas on how to utilize her position, including utilizing city community garden spaces for poetry reading and writing. She also plans to go on “walk-abouts” and collect lines of poetry from community members.
Daines said Coulbrooke’s “extraordinary poetry, which often uses themes representative of Cache Valley, and her significant community outreach to date resulted in her selection” as poet laureate.
— manda.perkins@hotmail.com
Twitter: @perkins_manda