The department is thrilled to share the news of Teaching Assistant Professor Dr. Donovan Livingston’s appointment as Chapel Hill’s Poet Laureate, 2025-2026!
The Chapel Hill Arts and Culture website states, “The mission of the Chapel Hill Poet Laureate is to inspire creativity and celebrate community through poetry, public programs, and shared poetry experiences. The Poet Laureate carries out this mission by being an ambassador for poetry, by fostering connections to the poetry community, and by enhancing the social and civic life of the Chapel Hill community.”
Those who know Dr. Livingston can see his exemplary fit for this role. “We all look forward to the creative initiatives, writings, performances, and innovations that he has in the works as Poet Laureate,” noted department chair Dr. Jocelyn Neal in her announcement email to department faculty.
“In my most challenging moments as an undergraduate student at Carolina, poetry, hip-hop music, and the community I cultivated through the arts provided me a space of peace and introspection; a reminder that I did, in fact, belong here, when everything else seemed otherwise,” Dr. Livingston told us. “It is my hope, that with this appointment and my role at the University, I can expound on that lyrical tradition by creating opportunities and programs for students, Town residents and civic leaders, to engage with one another poetically, to unearth people’s stories, experiences, and material needs. I intend to use music and poetry, within my coursework, research, and community outreach, to amplify our capacity for collective healing, wellbeing, and resilience.”
Congratulations on this incredible honor, Dr. Livingston!