Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Announces First Poet Laureate
Dr. Carolyn Ward, President of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, formally announced Laura Hope-Gill as the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s first Poet Laureate at Asheville’s Wordfest.
To commemorate the event, Dr. Ward presented her with a watercolor painting of a sacred Cherokee location and a very special “soul tree” created by Houck Medford, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
He stated “this adds a whole other dimension to the Parkway experience. The Parkway is so visual but its rhythms can easily be conveyed in poetic language. We look forward to hearing and ‘seeing’ this new imagery as it becomes part of our Parkway visitors’ journeys.”
To learn more about Laura, her work and this exciting announcement please visit Virtual Blue Ridge.
Check out Laura’s book, The Soul Tree, at the Virtual Blue Ridge Bookstore. Her collection of contemporary poetry is set to beautiful images of the Southern Appalachians by local photographer, John Fletcher.
Preview or Purchase The Soul Tree
