The San Luis Obispo County Arts Council is hosting a special evening celebrating poetry, community, and the power of words on Friday, January 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the historic Milking Parlor next to the Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo.
The Inaugural Poet Laureate Reading will honor the voices that shape California’s literary landscape and features an exceptional lineup of special guests:
- Lee Herrick, California’s tenth Poet Laureate, a writer and professor whose work bridges communities and inspires young voices.
- Caleb Nichols, SLO County’s newest Poet Laureate and the first openly queer poet to hold this role.
- Kevin Clark, SLO County’s outgoing Poet Laureate, celebrated for his impactful career including three poetry collections and contributions to The Southern Review and Ploughshares.
- MT Vallarta, an award-winning poet and professor, acclaimed for their book What You Refuse to Remember exploring themes of identity and belonging.
This event is free and open to the public.
SLO County’s Poet Laureate is the county’s most eminent poet, selected by a committee of distinguished community leaders for their expertise in education, poetry, civic engagement, and the literary arts. Nichols’ poetry and prose has been published in places like the New England Review, 14 Poems, Poetry Wales, and Poetry Ireland Review. Their critically acclaimed rock opera Ramon was released on iconic indie label Kill Rock Stars in 2022 and they have toured in North America and Europe in support of it and other KRS releases. The recipient of an Academy of American Poets University prize, they earned a Ph.D. in creative writing from Bangor University.
Nichols is the sixteenth poet laureate for the county since 1999. The poet is expected to have a history of service or a willingness to serve the local poetry community during a two-year term, and Nichols has established an “office hours initiative” for SLO County residents to discuss writing poetry, answer questions about publishing, or simply talk about poetics and books.