Every two to four years, the Governor chooses the Poet Laureate to promote an appreciation of poetry in the state and honor outstanding Colorado poets. This position, created in partnership with the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) division of OEDIT and Colorado Humanities, is an advocate for poetry, literacy, and literature who participates in public readings and other events statewide. In September 2023, Andrea Gibson was announced as the chosen Poet Laureate for 2023-2025.
Gibson is the author of six full-length collections of poetry. They are a two-time winner of the Independent Publishers Award, a three-time Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist, and the winner of the first Women’s World Poetry Slam. In 2017, Penguin Books published Take Me With You, an illustrated collection of Gibson’s most beloved quotes, and in 2019, Chronicle Books published their first nonfiction endeavor, How Poetry Can Change Your Heart. Gibson aims to help other individuals fall in love with poetry as they have. They took some time to respond to OEDIT’s questions and look back on their first year as the Poet Laureate…
What’s a highlight from the past year as the Poet Laureate?
Gibson: One of my favorite events thus far was hosting a writing workshop for first and second graders. We explored using exciting poetic language when discussing our future dreams. For example, instead of saying, “I want to be a baseball player when I grow up,” a poet might say, “When I grow up I want to be a homerun in the ninth inning of the World Series.” Or, if a child’s biggest dream is to simply live a joyful and enthusiastic life, he or she might say, “I want to grow up to be a pogostick.” The children loved this particular lesson, and a few days later I received a giant pile of thank you letters in which the most frequent sentiment was, “Thank you for teaching us to be pogosticks.” I’m not someone who tends to keep a lot of stuff, but I’ve saved each of the letters and will cherish them forever.
What are you looking forward to during the second year of your term?
Gibson: As I’ve been navigating a cancer diagnosis throughout this first year and will be continuing to do so in this upcoming year, I find myself drawn to working with communities who are navigating illness, grief, and loss. This initially surfaced for me after a poetry performance for a senior community in which many of the attendees had lost their partners. And it was newly awakened when I was invited to host a grief writing workshop for children who have lost someone close to them. I thought, “this is exactly what I want to be doing right now.” Every challenge in my life is made so much easier if I can use what I am going through to help others, and that’s my intention for this new year.
What have you learned so far in your role as Poet Laureate?
Gibson: I have learned that just about everyone is a poet, and it is absolutely thrilling to watch people of all ages discover their own personal talent for writing. I cherish the look in someone’s eyes when they realize that what they’ve written is not just beautiful, but a gift to others who read their words. Because of this, I have found myself falling newly in love with poetry many times, and that enthusiasm has made its way into all of my recent poems.
Where do you find hope in the topics covered in your work? How has writing about hopes and dreams of the world's potential affected you personally?
Gibson: My hope resides in the compassion that connects us all, the love that is the core of our human-beingness. As an artist, I’m invested in shining light on what compels us to care for each other, to create a more kind and just world. When I was in my early 20’s I wrote a poem that included the line- “Everybody knows what you’re against. Show them what you’re for.” There are many ways to write about the big issues of our world. There are many places to enter such conversations. Poetry has taught me to approach everything with this question in mind– What am I for?
What got you to fall in love with writing/poetry?
Gibson: “The only thing we truly have control over in this life,” says my therapist, “is where we put our attention.” I fell in love with poetry because it has, for decades now, consistently turned my attention to what is beautiful about our world. There is no greater gift in my life than that.
What advice would you give aspiring creatives/writers?
Gibson: What I myself needed to hear when I first began writing—1. Be brave enough to make art no one will love but you. 2. It is not so much about what you are creating, but the energy with which you are creating that matters. 3. Care less about the finished product than you do the process. Enjoying the process is everything.
When we announced your appointment as Colorado's Poet Laureate, much of the coverage mentioned your cancer diagnosis and treatment and how it factors into your writing. Would you like to offer any updates or comments?
Gibson: I have an ovarian cancer diagnosis which was determined to be incurable by my doctors over a year ago. I have been doing chemotherapy almost nonstop for three years now. Because of this, most of my speaking events have been virtual. While it saddens me to not be doing more in-person events, virtual performances and workshops are often far more accessible to people who are also navigating illnesses and disabilities. This comforts me in moments I’m longing to share physical space with other writers. My diagnosis was also the catalyst for a huge shift in the tone of my writing and teaching. My greatest joy right now is helping others fall in love with this brief and extraordinary life, and I’m so grateful that my position as Poet Laureate has opened up more opportunities for me to do that.