Alumna Laura Tohe, now professor emerita at Arizona State University (ASU), was named poet laureate of Arizona.
Tohe is an award-winning Navajo poet and writer who taught at ASU for 24 years and previously served as poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. She earned her MA and PhD degrees from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and has written and co-authored five books, including Code Talker Stories, an oral history book about the remaining Navajo Code Talkers.
“Over the course of her career, Dr. Tohe has distinguished herself as a poet, librettist and writer of both fiction and nonfiction," Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said. "As poet laureate, Dr. Tohe will continue Arizona’s tradition of creativity and help inspire the next generation of writers.”
Established in 2012, the position of the state's poet laureate is appointed by the governor to champion the art of American poetry, inspire an emerging generation of literary artists, and educate Arizonans about poets and authors who have influenced the state through creative literary expression.
Read more about the new role and her accomplishments online.
