About

Athens-Clarke County (ACCGov) introduced the Poet Laureate program in 2020 with support from the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission (ACAC). The Poet Laureate program is administered by the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Arts Division. 

ACCGov views the Poet Laureate position as a means to further enhance the profile of poets, poetry, and literary arts in our community and beyond. The Poet Laureate is expected to bring poetry to segments of our community that have less access or exposure to poetry: seniors, youth, schools and more. The Poet Laureate will make several guest appearances during the term, promoting poetry throughout the community.

The Poet Laureate will serve for a two-year term and will be provided an honorarium of $2,000, funded in annual installments based on a 40 hour per year commitment of planning and engagement. The expectation is that the position will foster appreciation and expand awareness of poetry in the county. 

A selection panel, comprised of local residents, educators, librarians, and other literary arts professionals, reviews the applications based on excellence in craftsmanship, professional vision for the position, professional achievement and history of community engagement

2024-2026 Poet Laureate - Mikhayla Robinson Smith

Mikhayla Robinson Smith is a poet, author, spoken word artist, and essayist, who has planted roots in Athens, Georgia. She studied English at the University of Georgia, which allowed her to explore and deepen her understanding of poetics. Her love for poetry and community has driven her desire to make poetic literature more accessible to the people of Athens. She hopes to share the freedom that she finds within words with others, and to prepare a table for those who may not have looked for liberation through them. She is also an educator and a mother, which has deepened her desire to make poetry more accessible for young people. As the first black, woman, poet laureate of Athens, she stands on the shoulders, and in a deep rooted tradition, of black women poets that come before her. She especially leans on Audre Lorde’s words: "Poetry is not a luxury." She believes in the power of words, out of necessity, and has felt the beauty of what poetry can do. In this new role, she plans to be a bridge for the community, illuminating the necessity of poetry.

2021-2023 Poet Laureate - Jeff Fallis

Local educator, Jeff Fallis has lived in Athens since 1995 and studied under poets such as Coleman Barks and Kevin Young. Fallis has dreamed of how to “connect the literary world in Athens with its wild and vibrant music and visual arts scenes.” Fallis is known for his readings (sometimes as an opening act for local bands), co-curating the VOX Reading Series, educating students of all ages and even penned the introduction for a collection of poems by John Seawright. As the inaugural Poet Laureate, Fallis made many appearances at local events, even writing original poems to mark special occasions. View Program Review