Last week, the wife of Governor Gray Davis, Sharon Davis, announced the appointment of Quincy Troupe as California's first official Poet Laureate. California is the 24th state that officially names a Poet Laureate. Although the State has never had an official Poet Laureate until now, there has been one who served unofficially in that capacity. The former State Poet Laureate served in an unofficial capacity: Charles Garrigus was that former Poet Laureate; he was appointed in 1966 and served until his death, two years ago.

Assembly Bill 113, by Assemblymember Fran Pavley, was signed into law by Governor Davis and officially created the position. It is a two year term, and California Arts Council Chairperson, Barbara George, said, “As an educator, author, and poet, Quincy Troupe will serve as an excellent ambassador of poetry by enhancing literacy and learning throughout the state.”

The offical statement of what this position will do is as follows: he will provide a minimum of six poetry readings during his two-year term and ensure that people in all geographic regions of the state have reasonable access to at least one reading during the course of his term. He will also engage in a project to bring poetic arts to Californians and to California students who might otherwise have little opportunity to be exposed to poetry. The Poet Laureate shall educate civic and state leaders about the values and varieties of poetry that make up the great wealth of creative expression throughout the state.

In an interview with Mr. Troupe on a local radio station, he stated that he will also attempt to take official readings of poetry to corporate board rooms, baseball, football, and NBA games during intermissions. Although this position has no salary attached to it, the California Arts Council has approved a $10,000 honorarium to support the activities of the position.

Troupe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grambling College in Louisiana; he also attended Los Angeles City College. He was born in New York City. He has had poetry, articles, and essays in more than 200 publications, and he has written 13 books and is working on a project that will be a children’s book on Stevie Wonder. You can get more of his background from this site: click here. In an interview with Poetice License, Mr. Troupe said this:

What would you like to see down here?" and they said: "We're down here all day long and don't even come up for lunch. We don't see the light very much!" So I decided to write haiku for the walls and sandblast the poems in the walls. The words also glow so they can seen in the dark! We were able to change it into something fine-looking. In San Francisco, my poems are helping to bridge cultures. I'm working on something called the Blue Bridge, near Geary and Fillmore Streets. I wrote a poem that runs along where people sit. The bridge connects three distinct ethnic communities and my poem recognizes contributions of each of them to the greater community.

Troupe wants to be remembered in this position in certain ways. He said, "I think you'll remember me for activating in California greater personal involvement with young kids, older people, people from all ethnic and racial groups. I see myself as a cultural worker and poetry is something that I have been blessed with...."

According to the St Louis American, Troupe's father, the late Quincy Troup(p)e, played for the Negro Leagues baseball team, St. Louis Stars. And he is first-cousin to longtime St. Louis politician Rep. Charles Quincy Troupe. Read a more candid interview with this poet in the St Louis American; click here.

.....Quincy Troupe

Californians and the nation will look to see what Quincy Troupe, first Poet Laureate of California, will do to advance poetry and how he will function as a cultural worker. Good luck and Godspeed to the brother! []

Gibbs staff
6/17/02