County Poet Laureate
Celebrating literary arts in San Luis Obispo County
SLO County’s Poet Laureate is regarded by the county as its most eminent or representative poet. The Poet Laureate is selected by a committee of community leaders with significant expertise in education, poetry, civic and cultural leadership, and the literary arts.
Meet SLO County’s Poet Laureate, Caleb Nichols
Caleb Nichols is the first openly queer Poet Laureate of San Luis Obispo County. Their poetry and prose has been published in places like the New England Review, 14 Poems, Poetry Wales, and Poetry Ireland Review. Their Kelp Book chapbook “Teems/Recedes” was called “a gorgeous abundance” by Chen Chen and their Bottlecap Press chapbook “Chan Says & Other Songs” was called “marvelously queer” by Eduardo C. Corral. Caleb’s critically acclaimed rock opera “Ramon” was released on iconic indie label Kill Rock Stars in 2022 and they’ve toured in North America and Europe in support of it and other KRS releases. A best of the net nominee, and a recipient of an Academy of American Poets University prize, Caleb recently earned a PhD in Creative Writing from Bangor University.
Office Hours with the SLO County Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols has begun an office hours initiative for SLO County residents! Bring your poems, questions about publishing, or simply stop by to talk about poetics, books, and the like.
Upcoming Events
-
(Soma)tic Rituals Workshop with CAConrad
Tuesday, April 7 | 5:30pm
SLO Museum of Art
Explore how (Soma)tic Rituals can help us see the creative viability in everything around us in a workshop with acclaimed poet CAConrad. -
Poetry Reading: CAConrad
Thursday, April 9 | 5:30pm
SLO Museum of Art
The San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureate, Cal Poly Writers At Work, SLO County Arts and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art are proud to host the acclaimed poet CAConrad for the first time in San Luis Obispo. CAConrad will read alongside Valentine Freeman and Caleb Nichols. -
Mistake Machine Zine Launch
Friday, April 10 | 6pm
MYLR Gallery & Books
Readings, performances, and strangeness from local poets and artists. Zine proceeds benefit 805 Undocufund. Free entry! -
Set Fire to the Stars Film Screening
Sunday, April 12 | 1pm
The Palm Theatre
Based on true events, Elijah Woods stars as John Malcolm Brinnin, the New York academic who brought Dylan Thomas to America. This screening will by introduced by Dr. John Goodby, professor of arts and culture at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. The leading authority on Dylan Thomas, Dr. Goodby has written extensively on his work and edited his Collected Poems. -
Blackout Poetry Workshop
Wednesday, April 29 | 6pm
Gala Pride & Diversity CenterHosted by SLO Book Bike as a part of the April 2026 Poetry Month programming, this free poetry workshop is being held at Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo.
-
Poetry Reading: Caleb Nichols & Anna Zumbahlen
Monday, July 20 | 2pm
EDNA Contemporary GalleryIn partnership with Festival Mozaic, the annual SLO Music and Arts Festival, poets Caleb Nichols and Anna Zumbahlen lead this free reading of their original works. Reservations are required!
-
Poetry Reading: Prageeta Sharma & MT Vallarta
Wednesday, July 22 | 2pm
EDNA Contemporary Gallery
In partnership with Festival Mozaic, the annual SLO Music and Arts Festival, poets Prageeta Sharma and MT Vallarta lead this free reading of their original works. Reservations required!
The San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureateship was founded in 1999 when the first laureate committee chose jazz drummer, merchant marine sailor, and beat poet extraordinaire Ray Clark Dickson.
In the late 1990s, the proposal for a laureateship was originally tied to boosting both local arts and tourism. Kevin Patrick Sullivan, the co-founder of the SLO County Poetry Festival, had been speaking to the SLO Chamber of Commerce, stressing the importance of the arts—including poetry—as an incentive to promote tourism. At about the same time, the city of San Francisco announced a committee to choose their first poet laureate, and Sullivan promoted the idea for the central coast.
The committee eventually grew under the auspices of the SLO County Arts Council and developed specific criteria for the award. The nominee must live in SLO County and over time must have established a body of published work, preferably in book form, recognized for its excellence. The nominee would also have a history of service or a willingness to serve the local poetry community and San Luis Obispo County. Ideally, selectees would develop a program to promote poetry in the county during their two-year tenure.
Since the selection of Dickson, sixteen other poet laureates have been chosen, including editor and literary benefactor Glenna Luschie; Chilean artist and expatriate Hernan Castellano-Giron; county poetry advocate Kevin Patrick Sullivan; Chicano poet and novelist Gloria L. Velasquez; award-winning professor James Cushing; creator of the online series “Poem Most Days” Jeanie Greensfelder; former Cal Poly director of creative writing Kevin Clark; and current Poet Laureate, critically-acclaimed poet and musician Caleb Nichols.
HISTORY OF SLO COUNTY POET LAUREATESHIP
“It is a great honor to have been added to the line of poets who have been selected as Poets Laureate for San Luis Obispo County. When I taught poetry writing at Cal Poly, I was always struck by the students who came to love our special place and the opportunity to make art here. Famous for its technical fields, I suspect that English majors have always been drawn to the area for its deeply stirring natural world. Keats said, ‘The poetry of the earth is never dead.’”
– Kevin Clark
ROSTER OF POETS LAUREATE
Caleb Nichols (2025-26)
Kevin Clark (2019-22)
Ivan BrownOtter (2019)
Jeanie Greensfelder (2017-18)
Marguerite Costigan (2015-16)
Jerry Douglas Smith (2013-14)
Bonnie Young (2011-12)
James Cushing (2009-10)
Dian Sousa (2008)
Rosemary Wilvert (2007)
Gloria L. Velasquez (2006)
Jane Elsdon (2005)
Michael McLaughlin (2004)
Kevin Patrick Sullivan (2003)
Anne Candelaria (2002)
Hernan Castellano-Giron (2001)
Glenna Luschei (2000)
Ray Clark Dickson (1999)
Recent Poetry Collections by the Poet Laureates of San Luis Obispo County
-
Kevin Clark (2019-2022)
-
Ivan BrownOtter (2019)
-
Jeanie Greensfelder (2017-2018)
-
Marguerite Costigan (2015-2016)