Poet Laureate Cathy Smith Bowers

Governor Beverly E. Perdue appointed Cathy Smith Bowers of Tryon as North Carolina's Poet Laureate on January, 29, 2010.

"Cathy's powerful poems open new avenues of thought, and are a reflection of the love of words and learning. She believes poetry inspires and instructs North Carolinians of all ages," Gov. Perdue said. As poet laureate, Ms. Smith Bowers serves as an ambassador of North Carolina literature, past and present. She succeeded Kathryn Stripling Byer.

Cathy Smith Bowers started writing out of the need to feel whole as a person. The 60-year-old South Carolina native has suffered deep loss in her lifetime.

Smith Bowers is the state's new poet laureate. She hopes to use her platform to demonstrate the power of the spoken word to transform our hurts and pains into healing and to celebrate our triumphs and joys. "I feel honored to be representing all the poets of North Carolina… Poetry moves us in a profound and positive way. I am hoping this will be an opportunity for me to keep everyone in touch — poets and word lovers alike."

As a child, Smith Bowers recalls her mother and five siblings moving out of their family home in the small mill town of Lancaster, S.C., while her alcoholic father was at work. Smith Bowers and her father reunited shortly before he died. "We had been estranged for 20 years. It shocked me. I was losing him a second time and this one was irrevocable. Then I realized he would not become the old man who would be kind like I always imagined."

Years later her younger brother died of AIDS and her older brother died of drug and alcohol related issues. Next, her second husband committed suicide.

"I write to bring order out of chaos," says Smith Bowers, who lives in Tryon, located in Polk County. "I feel the subjects I write about are very painful. I work through that pain when I'm working on a poem. It gives me power over it."

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To find out more about the poet laureate program or to inquire about arranging a presentation by Smith Bowers contact Literature Director Banu Valladares.

For Press Inquiries

To arrange an interview or for the most up-to-date information on Cathy Smith Bowers activities as poet laureate contact Bridgette Lacy, Media Relations Manager, at (919) 807-6520. A variety of materials, including high quality jpegs are available.

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