The City Manager, Mayor, the Worcester City Council and the Office of Cultural Development have announced the appointments of the City of Worcester Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate.
The City of Worcester Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate will serve as official ambassadors of our historic, vibrant poetic and literary culture, using their positions to promote our great writers and the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word throughout the community.
The objectives of the City of Worcester's Poet Laureate Programs are to:
- Enhance the presence and appreciation of poetry and literary arts in Greater Worcester.
- Celebrate the spirit of the people and special qualities of Worcester, the City of Innovation.
- Raise awareness of the power of literature, poetry and the spoken word.
- Provide a forum for collaborative art forms.
- Engage and support an emerging generation of poets and spoken word artists.
- Provide access to poetry and literary arts to all sectors of the community.
- Encourage the reading and writing of both poetry and the written word.
A four person committee was formed to review dozens of applications to the Poet Laureate programs. Distinguished poet, acclaimed author and long-time educator Oliver de la Paz has been selected as Worcester's next Poet Laureate, to serve from January 2023 until December 2025. Serenity Jackson, a student at Worcester Technical High School, became the third Youth Poet Laureate in Worcester, preceded by Adael Mejia. Jackson will serve from January 2024 through December 2025.
Poet Laureate
Oliver de la Paz
Oliver de la Paz earned degrees in Biology and English Literature from Loyola Marymount University and received his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Arizona State University, where he was a University Graduate Scholar Fellowship Awardee. De la Paz has since taught at several universities and is currently the James N. and Sally L. O'Reilly Barrett Professor in Creative Writing at the College of the Holy Cross.
As Poet Laureate, de la Paz uses his experiences as a poet, as an educator and in the wider literary community to expand access to the arts in Worcester. He was a founding member of Kundiman, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting Asian-American writing. He served two terms on the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Board of Trustees. Other recognitions de la Paz has been awarded include grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, an Artist Trust GAP Grant and a fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Before his appointment as Poet Laureate, de la Paz authored several collections, including Names Above Houses (2001), Requiem for the Orchard (2010), and The Boy in the Labyrinth (2019). In addition to his published work, de la Paz has dedicated his career to promoting literary excellence, community engagement, and education.
Song for the City - by Oliver de la Paz
City of knuckled brick and backlot prayers
to rusted spires and mill-town ghosts.
City where train songs braid the night
with their high whistle and clack.
Worcester, who wears history like a second skin,
patched and burnished by the hands of families
who stayed long until the shift ended--those who still
strike iron spikes into the shapes of hearts.
City whose streets are lined with the laugh
of old men on benches telling Woo-Sox stories
as children breathe their cotton clouds
into the ebbing winter air. City whose cars
slip through Kelley Square in a chaotic rhythm,
singing their hymns of near-misses
and unspoken truces. Worcester, whose pulse is
the rhythm of traffic and drum. Whose beauty
is red brake lights dotting the streets to usher
all into a new season. Whose poetry emerges
from the salt-stained sidewalks and in the neon hum
of diner lights where coffee is covenant
and where the poets and nurses sit side by side
watching the city arise in the steam of their cups.
And when the last snows of the season stop falling
over Union Station, city whose song is memory
settling in--echo of millworkers and immigrants
carving their names into the city's ribs. Echo
of youth and bloom, standing with their faces
to the sky. Standing with their eyes alight.
Youth Poet Laureate
Serenity Jackson
Serenity Jackson is a 16-year-old junior at Worcester Technical High School. She is a rapper and performer with the stage name "Lil Rennie." Serenity has been performing since the age of 9 with many performances under her belt, ranging from a variety of music festivals, public events and a feature showcase at New York's Apollo Theatre. She was one of the winners at Polar Park's National Baseball Poetry Festival in April 2023. Jackson is a three-time winner at the Worcester Music Awards for Best Rapper and Best Solo Act and The People's Choice Award. Balancing creativity and compassion, Jackson is chasing her dreams in rap and poetry while studying to become a nurse.
A Thread of Dreams and Culture: Weaving Worcester and Me - by Serenity Jackson
In Worcester, where the streets hum and intertwine,
I stand with a pen, my voice is mine.
A voice I once didn't know how to prosper,
Worcester gave me the opportunity to create my own roster.
With stages and open mic nights, city streets, main idea,
From the parks to the stages, 10-year-old with a dream and a support system behind me,
Starting in Elm Park with pits in my stomach from the nervousness that fills my insides,
Until I heard the clapping and rejoicing, realizing the stage is mine.
I was so nervous my heart was pounding, but the feedback of the city was so astounding,
Where the Worcester PopUp Center, full of cultures and art,
Gave me the firm foundation where I found the courage to start.
Just a little girl with a dream and a story to tell,
I stepped on the stage of the youth center, where promotion for violence is not normal, excels.
I'm now the poet of the youth, and for the city, my heart beats.
There's not much this city didn't do for me.
As the innovative poet that I am, I've always got something to say,
So I write down my thoughts, come what may.
As a young mixed kid, striving to learn my black history,
Events and venues gathered with mixtures of nationalities,
Never failed to teach me about my ancestors and those surrounding me.
The Common's green, the city lights shine bright,
I turn my words into something that feels just right.
Worcester has seven great hills with some beautiful views,
In a world where you can choose to be the deliverer of good news.
I walk through the streets with a purpose and a plan,
Telling stories of the city and its people, as best as I can.
From the art at the museums to the old, busy roads,
The city's my canvas, where my poems come to life like genetic codes.
I speak for the youth, for those who feel small,
I write for the dreamers who stand big and tall.
Worcester's alive with music and cheer,
Where the future is bright, and the dreams are near.
I'll write about hope, about strength, and much more,
I'll write for the kids in the city who are ready to soar.
So here I am always, with my notebook in hand,
Telling stories of my hometown so bountiful and grand.
Worcester's the place where my words can fly free,
I am the Youth Poet Laureate, and this city's my key!
Poets Laureate Requests and Appearance Scheduling
To request the scheduling of either or both Poets Laureate for an appearance, please complete the Worcester Poet Laureate Appearance Requests Form. Click on the form below.
Previous Poets Laureate
Juan Matos
Poet Laureate (2020 - 2022)
Adael "Ace" Mejia
Youth Poet Laureate (2022 - 2023)
Amina Mohammed
Youth Poet Laureate (2020 - 2021)
Contact Information
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