Local Warrensburg resident Kevin Prufer has been selected as one of five Missourians to serve on the advisory committee to select the next Missouri Poet Laureate for 2010. Governor Jay Nixon has issued an executive order that the next poet laureate must be a resident of Missouri and a published poet, and be willing to promote the arts by making appearances at public schools and libraries and will be responsible for composing an original poem in honor of Missouri.

The advisory committee, along with First Lady Georganne Wheeler Nixon, will be charged with developing selection criteria, reviewing the nominations and recommending candidates for appointment by the Governor. “Missouri has produced generations of powerful, inspirational and compelling poets and writers, including such timeless bards as Samuel Clemens, Maya Angelou and Laura Ingalls Wilder,” Gov. Nixon said. “By selecting a poet laureate, we pay tribute to these brilliant artists, and we hope to inspire the poets and authors of the future. Georganne and I look forward to working closely with the selection committee to identify a poet laureate who reflects the great traditions, richness and diversity of our state and will help fulfill this important educational mission.”

Kevin Prufer is the author of four poetry collections, the most recent of which are Fallen From a Chariot (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2005) and National Anthem (Four Way Books, 2008), the latter of which was named one of the year’s five best poetry books by Publishers Weekly. Kevin is also editor of New Europeans Poets (Graywolf Press, 2008) and Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing, among others. The recipient of three Pushcart prizes, two Best American Poetry selections, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, he resides in Warrensburg where he is Professor of English at the University of Central Missouri.