Crystal Wilkinson is the first black woman to be appointed Kentucky Poet Laureate. She spoke with us recently about her rural roots, her writing, and how she hopes to inspire young Kentucky writers.
A formal induction is planned as part of the Kentucky Writer’s Day celebration on April 23rd. The virtual ceremony will stream live on the Kentucky Arts Council Facebook page and YouTube channel. You can find more information about that at artscouncil.ky.gov.
Crystal Wilkinson is the author of The Birds of Opulence, Blackberries, Blackberries, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature, and Water Street, a finalist for both the UK’s Orange Prize for Fiction and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. The winner of the 2008 Denny Plattner Award in Poetry from Appalachian Heritage magazine and the Sallie Bingham Award from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, she serves as associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky.