Gov. Dan McKee on Friday named Colin Channer as Rhode Island’s seventh poet laureate, praising the “accomplished writer” whose work has “touched the lives of so many people.”
“Colin Channer is an accomplished writer whose talent and work have touched the lives of so many people,” said Governor McKee. “I’m excited to see him continue his craft here in the Ocean State where he will not just be a leader in poetry but serve as a poetry and literary inspiration to Rhode Islanders across our state.”
Channer, a former literary arts professor at Brown University, was recently named a finalist for the New England Book Award.
“To be named State Poet is a gushy surprise and leveling honor. Poetry is many things, including a reachable, teachable way to strengthen empathy and stretch toward transcendence. It’s also just a bunch of fun,” said Channer. “I was born lucky, as my mother Phyllis, a retired pharmacist, just loves to say. This shocking honor proves her point. And hey, she’s always right!”
Channer is an Associate Professor & the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Literary Arts at Brown University. He is also co-founder of Jamaica’s globally famous Calabash International Literary Festival. Channer, who was born and raised in Jamaica, served the organization as artistic director and board chairman from 2001-2012. The three-day festival offers three days and nights of readings by a global constellation of authors at no charge, and has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Condé Nast Traveler.
Channer will take office as Rhode Island’s seventh poet laureate for a five-year term.
Previous Rhode Island state poets are Michael Harper (1988-1994), the late C.D. Wright (1994-1999), Thomas Chandler (1999-2006), Lisa Starr (2007-2012), Rick Benjamin (2013-2015), and Tina Cane (2016-2023).
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
