Selection of the State Poet Laureate

The State Poet Laureate program is facilitated by the Oklahoma Humanities Council on behalf of the Governor. It is an honorary position (usually a two-year term) that recognizes the accomplishments of an Oklahoma resident in the field of poetry.

Nominations for State Poet Laureate are made by writing groups, poetry societies, and other cultural organizations. The nomination review committee, appointed by OHC, reviews submissions and makes recommendations to the Governor, who then makes the official appointment. 

Jim Barnes
Oklahoma State Poet Laureate, 2009-2011

No art is more important to me than poetry, for poetry makes everything happen.—Jim Barnes 

Jim Weaver McKown Barnes, of Choctaw and Welsh ancestry, grew up in Summerfield, Oklahoma. His non-fiction prose book, On Native Ground: Memoirs and Impressions, reflects Oklahoma and Native cultures and won the American Book Award in 1998. He has authored several volumes of poetry, including The Sawdust War: Poems, which won the Oklahoma Book Award in 1993; Paris: Poems; On a Wing of the Sun: Three Volumes of Poetry; and his most recent work, Visiting Picasso (University of Illinois Press, 2007). 

Jim Barnes Appearances

Application for Appearances  [Click to download application]
Requests for Poet Laureate appearances must be made in writing on the attached application form. For information on arranging an appearance, contact Ann Thompson, Executive Director.

Links to Additional Resources

Poetry by Jim Barnes
Past Poets Laureate