Current California Poet Laureate Al Young

On May 12, 2005 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Al Young as California's Poet Laureate. Mr. Young’s official website, www.alyoung.org, features not only some of his poetry, but photos, sound, and a full schedule of his upcoming events.

"Al Young is a poet, an educator and a man with a passion for the arts. His remarkable talent and sense of mission to bring poetry into the lives of Californians is an inspiration," said Governor Schwarzenegger in a press release.

Young is well known for the jazz rhythms in his work and often reads with a musical accompanist. A native of Mississippi who spent most of his adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area, he began publishing poems, articles and stories at a very young age.

"Like jazz, Al Young is an original American voice," said Muriel Johnson, Director, California Arts Council.

Young has taught poetry and fiction writing at a number of universities nationwide, including the Universities of California at Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Davis and Stanford University, among others. His works have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Review, Seattle Review, Rolling Stone, and the Norton Anthology of African-American Literature. As a screenwriter, Young has worked with Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.

Young often travels internationally, and has been a guest lecturer for the U.S. Department of State as a representative of African-American literature and culture. His work has been translated into various languages including German, Japanese, Spanish and Russian. His numerous awards include the Wallace Stegner, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships; the PEN-USA Award for Non-Fiction; and the Pushcart Prize, as well as two American Book Awards and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year citation.

Young's ability to inspire played a key role in his appointment as California Poet Laureate. "He is an educator and a man with a passion for the Arts," said Schwarzenegger. "His remarkable talent and sense of mission to bring poetry into the lives of Californians is an inspiration."

Please see the California Poet Laureate Al Young website for more information on Mr. Young.