Springs area gets its first poet laureate, Aaron Anstett

For an area that inspired one of the country's most beloved poems, "America the Beautiful," the Pikes Peak region hasn't paid much tribute to poets - until now.

On Wednesday, with Pikes Peak framed behind him, Aaron Anstett was named the region's first-ever poet laureate in a ceremony at the East Library.

He'll serve a two-year term and receive a stipend of $2,000 in exchange for making public appearances and pursuing a major poetry project in the community. He said his brain is abuzz with the places he can infiltrate with poetry - schools, baseball games, dentists' offices.

"As Walt Whitman wrote, ‘In order to have great poets, we must have great audiences,' and I am thrilled to play a small part in developing that audience in the Pikes Peak region," Anstett told a small group of cultural leaders, government officials and media. "This distinction is a real call to action."

Anstett has been an active member of the local poetry community for a decade, running open mikes, organizing benefit events and serving as one of the leaders of Poetry West. He's also made a splash in the wider poetry community, publishing three collections that have captured several awards including the national Balcones Poetry Prize.

"It's just a real opportunity for Colorado Springs to be inspired in a new and refreshing way," Councilwoman Jan Martin said.

The search for a poet laureate was conducted by a coalition of cultural leaders who came together as the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project. The goal was to honor a local poet, stir up the local arts scene, and increase the visibility of poetry through his projects, said John Atkinson, chair of the organizing committee.

The Laureate Project group included representatives from Poetry West, the Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado College, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. They announced the project in January and received 15 nominations. After interviewing the finalists, they chose Anstett.

What set Anstett apart was "the breadth and depth of his knowledge of poets and poetry," said committee member Jim Ciletti, of Poetry West. "The fact is that he's a nationally recognized poet, and he has organized community poetry events. He has a recognized ability to interface well with the community - because the poet laureate project is not just about the poet, it's about the community."

The Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project exceeded its $13,000 fundraising goal to finance the laureate's projects and its infrastructure, with more than 130 individual donors chipping in.

The Wednesday ceremony also honored local poet Lois Hayna, 95, as the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Emeritus.