Kansas City named local poet and organizer Melissa Ferrer Civil the city's first poet laureate last week.
The poet laureate “encourages the teaching, reading, and writing of poetry as an avenue for education, culture, and entertainment in Kansas City,” according to the city’s website.
Civil told KCUR’s Up To Date that she will collaborate with local organizations over the next year to get the word out that poetry can be a powerful tool for change.
“It is my perspective that poetry is not just meant to stay on the page,” Civil says. “I want to plan programming that will help people find themselves…to help bolster community solidarity.”
- Melissa Ferrer Civil, poet laureate of Kansas City, Missouri
