About JoAnn Balingit
The Blue-Spotted Salamander
Does not flinch as my boot rolls the pine limb over
The night is wet with icy stars sprinkled down its ribs
Not one muscle would I move if God rolled my roof open
I'd lie curled, an unborn word awake inside his skull
Acknowledgement: "The Blue Spotted Salamander" first appeared in Kweli Journal. ©JoAnn Balingit, 2009.
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JoAnn Balingit is Delaware's 16th Poet Laureate, appointed by Governor Ruth Ann Minner in May 2008. A resident of Delaware since 1990, JoAnn was born in Ohio and grew up in Lakeland, Florida. She has travelled widely, living abroad for several years in Morocco and Portugal, where two of her four children were born. She holds masters degrees in Literature and in Library Science, as well as a Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware.
JoAnn has taught poetry for many organizations and in a variety of settings. At the Wellness Community of Delaware, she initiated an ongoing weekly poetry workshop for cancer patients and their families. JoAnn sees poetry as a facilitator of conversation and community, a way for individuals to navigate the wonders and challenges of being alive. With attention to craft, she believes, poetic language creates vital understandings between people. JoAnn encourages Delaware educators, parents, and poets to collaborate in the development of "Poets in the Schools," a writing program to bring published poets into the schools to work with young people and their teachers.
JoAnn's chapbook of poems, Your Heart and How it Works (Spire Press, 2009) received the 2010 Global Filipino Literary Award for poetry. Her poems have appeared in journals such as Harpur Palate, MiPOesias, Salt Hill Journal, Smartish Pace and on Verse Daily. Her work has been anthologized in Best New Poets, DIAGRAM.2, Endless Skyway (Ice Cube Press, 2011) and Voices of the Asian American Experience (ABC-CLIO, forthcoming in 2012). She has held fellowships from The Delaware Division of the Arts, The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
As Poet Laureate, Dr. Balingit seeks to promote the art of poetry throughout Delaware by supporting opportunities
for:
Delaware students to read great poetry and to write poetry Delaware poets to develop their skills and promote their work Delawareans to experience poetry readings by outstanding poets
Read more about Delaware's Poet Laureate:
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About Delaware’s Poet Laureate Program
Request a Poet Laureate appearance
Non-Profit Organizations: The Division of the Arts arranges the Poet Laureate’s calendar for state functions and non-profit organizations event requests only. Click here for the request form.
For-Profit Organizations: For-profit entities interested in scheduling the Poet Laureate for an event should contact her directly by email: jbaling@udel.edu. |
Delaware’s Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor. The Poet Laureate serves as an advocate, educator, and presenter of poetry throughout the state. Proposed activities for this position include:
- Promoting the importance of poetry and the literary arts as part of Delaware's cultural heritage
- Speaking at such official state functions as the opening of state legislative sessions, the Governor’s Awards for the Arts, conferences, and public ceremonies
- Presenting readings and poetry discussions in educational settings and community events across the state
- Developing poetry programming and presentation opportunities in collaboration with the Division of the Arts to support the Division's program goals
The Delaware Division of the Arts promotes the Poet Laureate’s events and activities and manages the Poet Laureate’s calendar of appearances. The Division also provides financial support to non-profit organizations to assist with appearance fees.
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POET LAUREATE