Ada Limón, one of the nation’s most celebrated writers and the first poet of Mexican descent to be honored as the United States Poet Laureate, will be one of the headlining authors for the 25th anniversary Get Lit! festival, April 20-23, 2023.
“I’m beyond thrilled that we’re going to be able to present her to our community this year, as the US Poet Laureate,” says Kate Peterson, director of Get Lit! Programs. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Get Lit!’s 25th anniversary.”
The Get Lit! Festival, organized by EWU’s Creative Writing MFA Program, is the university’s premier literary event. Every spring, the university brings renowned writers from all over the country to participate in readings, workshops and craft classes.
The U.S. Poet Laureate serves as the official poet of the United States and raises national awareness and appreciation for the readers and writers of poetry.
Limón will participate in the festival’s headlining event, a reading which will include legendary poet Tess Gallagher, and EWU MFA alumna Laura Read. Limón is the author of six books and has won numerous awards, among them the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
“Hosting Ada Limón would be a dream in any festival year—she is so great at showing us the power that poetry has to bring people together, create change, grieve, heal wounds, celebrate beauty, and so much more,” says Peterson. “Being able to introduce her to our community for our 25th anniversary festival, when she has just been announced as the U.S. Poet Laureate, feels like a really magical opportunity.”
Limón’s poetry, along with its critical regard, is known and praised for its accessibility. Whether aimed at our natural or cultural world, Limón speaks to topics such as family, gender, race and climate change with an introspective feminist pride while silmultaneously appreciating the beauty in all things.
“Ada Limón is a poet who connects. Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward,” said Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, in Limón’s Poet Laureate citation.
Limón will also be teaching a craft class during her visit. You can head to Get Lit!’s website and join their mailing list to receive updates, and to learn more exciting news about the anniversary festival.
Get Lit! is also currently seeking sponsorship for this exciting headlining event as well as others. Please contact getlit@ewu.edu if you would like to explore becoming a sponsor.
