Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) has selected Traci Brimhall as the 2023-2026 Poet Laureate of Kansas. Brimhall, a professor and Director of Creative Writing at Kansas State University, will become the state’s eighth Poet Laureate when her four-year term begins on January 1. As the new Poet Laureate of Kansas, Brimhall will conduct public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations that serve communities across the state. Her plans for the laureateship will focus on connecting with Kansans through the shared experience of language, Kansas’ agricultural roots, and food.