Page 10 - MSN_384_AprilMay
P. 10
PAGE 10 ALL ABOUT MONTANA MONTANA SENIOR NEWS • APRIL | MAY 2022
Montana’s
Poet Laureates
Supporting the Poetic Arts
2021-2022 MONTANA POET “Poetry is living, it’s ongoing, and when
BY KATHLEEN MULROY LAUREATE MARK GIBBONS we share poetry as we do at funerals, wed-
Montana native Mark Gibbons holds dings, and other sacred gatherings, it brings
Montana’s Poet Laureate has quite an a BA in English and Psychology and us together. That’s something we always
impressive responsibility: to advance and an MFA in Creative Writing from the need as a culture and society, and maybe
support the poetic arts in the state. Each University of Montana. now more than ever.”
laureate helps to accomplish this mission A poetry teacher for three decades, 2019-2020 POET LAUREATES ML
by reading their works out loud in public Gibbons has written 11 volumes of poetry SMOKER AND MELISSA KWASNY
venues, mentoring upcoming writers, and and is the editor of FootHills Publishing’s From 2019-2020, ML Smoker served
judging the national student recitation Montana Poets Series. as Montana’s co-Poet Laureate, along
competition, called Poetry Out Loud. He is the 2013 recipient of the MAC’s with Melissa Kwasny. Smoker holds an
Montana residents nominate individ- Artist Innovation Award and has served MFA from the University of Montana in
uals for this two-year, honorary position, as a writing mentor and judge for Poetry Missoula, where she was the recipient
created in 2005. A selection committee Out Loud. of the Richard Hugo Fellowship. She is
composed of members of the state’s literary Gibbons’ solo collections include a member of the Assiniboine and Sioux
community then chooses finalists from the Something Inside Us; Circling Home; Connemara tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation in
nominations. These finalists are submitted Moonshine; Blue Horizon; War, Madness, & Montana and served as the Director of
to the Montana Arts Council (MAC) board Love; Mauvaises Herbes (Weeds); Forgotten Indian Education for the state of Montana
for review and approval, and the governor Dreams; Shadowboxing; The Imitation Blues; for almost 10 years. In 2015 she was named
selects the new Poet Laureate from the pool Mostly Cloudy; and In the Weeds. the Indian Educator of the Year by the
of finalists. Gibbons says poetry matters, especially National Indian Education Association.
in our current times. President Barack Obama appointed
Smoker to the National Advisory Council
on Indian Education. She now works at
Education Northwest as a practice expert
in Indian Education.
Hangling Loose Press published Smoker’s
Second Edition Books sells used and rare books in Historic first collection of poems, Another Attempt at
Uptown Butte. We specialize in Montana, mining,
Western Americana, children’s books & more. Visit us at Rescue, in 2005. In 2009, she co-edited (with
112 S. Montana or call the store at 406-723-5108 Melissa Kwasny) an anthology of human
“ MONTANA’S BEST USED BOOKSTORE ” rights poetry, entitled I Go to the Ruined Place.
MON - SAT | 9:00 - 5:30
SecondEditionBooksButte.com Smoker received a regional Emmy award for
Services, Inc.
NOW TAKING North Central Independent Living
APPLICATIONS FOR Tom Osborn
Executive Director
Kalispell Columbus 800-823-6245 • 406-452-9834
Winnett Roundup 1120 25th Ave NE • Black Eagle
Hardin
1–2 Bedroom Apartments
Neat & Clean
SOME RENTS BASED ON INCOME • Proudly serving Cattle
Company Beef 168 Rooms
CONTACT Sourced locally, supporting Lounge
THANK YOU for helping us HDA MANAGEMENT US ranchers!
to serve our great veterans. 406-245-9998 • 406 Premium Well Restaurant
Montana Grown or
During this crisis and beyond we are a lifeline and a Toll Free: 888-387-7368 Distilled Products Casino
support system for our Veterans and their families. • Largest Selection of Tap Pool
Beers
With your support we can continue to provide for • Grains of Montana Hot Tubs
those who have given us so much. Products
RV Park
STORE HOURS: Veteran’s Food Pantry & Convention Center
Veteran’s Thrift Store DME Medical Loans 406
MON–FRI: 10AM–4:30PM MON–FRI: 10AM–3PM HDA
1349 HWY 2 East Kalispell MANAGEMENT 54250 US HWY 2 East, Glasgow
406-756-7304 | veteransfoodpantry.org 406-228-8213 • cottonwoodinn.net
