CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — University of Northern Iowa English Professor Vince Gotera has been named just the fifth Poet Laureate in Iowa's history.
Governor Kim Reynolds appointed Gotera to a two-year term in February from a list of nominees put forth by a volunteer citizen committee.
The Iowa Poet Laureate is tasked with inspiring writers of all ages, hosting poetry readings, workshops and programs across the state, as well as assisting Iowans with writing or even publishing their own poetry.
"It was very exciting," Gotera said of his appointment. "I'm really glad to be able to do it. I'm originally from San Francisco, California, but I've lived in Iowa for almost 30 years at this point. I'm so glad, all along, to have been welcomed by Iowa."
Gotera has taught creative writing and literature at UNI for those nearly three decades. Throughout his time he has earned the Faculty Excellence Award and the statewide Regents Award for Faculty Excellence.
In addition to being raised in San Francisco, Gotera spent a few years of his childhood living in the Philippines.
"I wrote my first poem when I was six years old. I remember being on a ferry boat with my dad and kind of noticing that the sun was so bright above. And then when we went home, I wrote a little poem," Gotera told News 8. "I still remember that it was in four line stanzas."
He says his mother got that poem published in the school newsletter, which kicked off a 'lifelong love' of poetry.
Gotera's most recent work is a poem dedicated to his mother. You can read For Mama here, at Silver Birch Press. The website does a series where people can send in poems about a particular topic, from motherhood to one's favorite spice.
"So that's a really accessible and fun website that I think people who write poetry, or people who are just wanting to get a little taste of it, would love the poems that you find there," Gotera said.
As an author, Gotera has more than 300 poems published in venues across the country and the world. He also has four collections of his poetry:
- Dragonfly (1994)
- Ghost Wars (2003
- Fighting Kite (2007)
- The Coolest Month (2019)
His most recent book is made up of poems written entirely in April. You can find The Coolest Month here.
April is National Poetry Month in the U.S. Every year, the Academy of American Poets takes the month to celebrate the role culture and poetry plays in our society. Learn more about how you can join the celebration here.
Gotera is received numerous writing awards including a Creative Writing Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Global Filipino Literary Award in Poetry and the Academy of American Poets Prize.
From 2000 to 2016, he served as Editor of the longest-lived literary magazine in the country, the North American Review. After that, he became Editor of Star*Line from 2017 to 2020.
Gotera joined The Current on News 8 to discuss his recent appointment. You can find the full interview in the above video.
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