Plumly Appointed Poet Laureate of Maryland

"Being able to speak with a certain amount of clarity what's in your mind and in your heart seems to me to be inseparable from having a happy life," says Plumly on the task of poetry.

The career of Stanley Plumly earned new recognition in Annapolis on October 1, 2009 as Governor Martin O'Malley officially instated Plumly as Maryland's ninth poet laureate at a State House reception.

"We are fortunate to have Stanley Plumly, one of our nation's most critically acclaimed poets, as Maryland's new poet laureate," said O'Malley. "Poetry has the ability to give voice to those experiences, feelings and ideas that are most meaningful and most important, and I look forward to working with [Plumly] as he travels around our state to share his gift." Plumly's dedicated service to poetry in the state includes co-founding the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Maryland.

The announcement anticipates a two-day conference to be held in Plumly's honor at the University of Maryland. "A Celebration of Stanley Plumly," sponsored by the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies, will be held October 29 and 30 in Tawes Hall.

Read campus reactions to the poet laureate announcement at University Newsdesk.

Read the Baltimore Sun's coverage of the instatement ceremony here.