Boise Poet named Idaho Writer in Residence

Poet Kerri Webster of Boise has been named Idaho Writer in Residence by the Idaho Commission on the Arts. Webster’s application was reviewed anonymously by a panel of out-of-state judges and was selected based on writing samples and professional accomplishments.

“Webster is a poet of the mystical tradition who maintains deep roots in our time, and place, the panel said in a statement. “She considers issues of femininity, of the familial and the familiar, in spaces equally charged with deep intellectual investigation, linguistic possibility and emotionally resonant pleasure.”

The Writer in Residence serves as an ambassador for the literary arts, encourages meaningful engagement with the written word, and promotes the importance of creative writing. The appointment will provide Webster a platform to promote her own work and champion the work of other creative writers in the state. Webster will receive $10,000 and serve a two-year term, starting July 1.

“The position of Writer in Residence will help make possible the time to write,” Webster said. “And giving readings and workshops in towns across Idaho will inevitably deepen my understanding of this place I’m from.”

Webster has written four poetry books, including “Lapis,” “The Trailhead,” “Grand and Arsenal” and “We Do Not Eat Our Hearts Alone.” She’s taught at colleges and as a Writer in the Schools for The Cabin.

She’s also a recipient of a Whiting Award, the Iowa Prize, the Lucille Medwick Award and a Chapbook Fellowship from the Poetry Society of America, the Lynda Hull Memorial Prize, an Alexa Rose Foundation Grant and three Literature Fellowships from the Idaho Commission on the Arts.

Webster’s poems have appeared in journals including Poetry, the Boston Review, Denver Quarterly, the Los Angeles Review, Colorado Review, Guernica, Indiana Review, Kenyon Review, Antioch Review, Beloit Poetry Journal and Poetry Northwest.

The Idaho Commission on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Idaho. It promotes excellence, education and access to the arts. Visit arts.idaho.gov for information.