2012 Scholars Week Banquet Keynote Speaker:

Sam Green

Samuel Green served for two years as Washington's Poet Laureate after being named to the position in December 2007 by Governor Chris Gregoire. Sam is a distinguished poet and author of ten poetry collections, including The Grace of Necessity, which recently won the Washington State Book Award for Poetry. For nearly 30 years he has served as editor of Brooding Heron Press. Sam has been a visiting poet and poetry teacher at Seattle University for several years and is active with the Skagit River Poetry Festival.

The Washington State Poet Laureate was established by the 2007 Legislature as a cooperative program of WSAC and Humanities Washington. Samuel Green was named Washington's first poet laureate, serving a two-year term from 2007 to 2009. The program was suspended in 2009, at the governor's request, due to budget constraints. In 2011, the governor agreed to resume the program, provided that no state funds would be used. The program is moving forward with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and private contributions.

The Washington State Poet Laureate serves to build awareness and appreciation of poetry - including the state's legacy of poetry - through public readings, workshops, lectures and presentations in communities, schools, colleges, universities and other public settings in geographically diverse areas of the state. The Poet Laureate serves a two-year term and receives a stipend of $10,000 per year. The stipend helps cover the cost of providing poetry programs and activities statewide. Visit the Washington State Poet Laureate website to learn more.