Governor Tate Reeves has appointed accomplished poet Ann Fisher-Wirth of Oxford, Miss., as Mississippi’s Poet Laureate. Serving as the official state poet for a term of four years, the state’s Poet Laureate creates and reads appropriate poetry at state occasions, promotes literacy, and represents the rich cultural heritage of Mississippi.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Ann Fisher-Wirth as Mississippi’s new Poet Laureate,” stated Governor Tate Reeves. “I am confident that Ann will represent our state with grace and dedication, fostering a deep appreciation for poetry and literature throughout Mississippi.”

Fisher-Wirth retired in 2022 from the University of Mississippi, where she taught for 33 years in the MFA program and directed the Environmental Studies program. For many years, she also taught yoga at Southern Star in Oxford. She is preceded in the role of Poet Laureate by Catherine Pierce.

“I am thrilled to be chosen as Mississippi’s Poet Laureate for 2025-2029,” said Ann Fisher-Wirth. “I look forward to continuing the wonderful work that Catherine Pierce developed through the Mississippi Young Writers Poetry contests and festivals. Thank you so much for this incredible honor!”

A senior fellow of the Black Earth Institute, Fisher-Wirth received Fulbright scholarships to Switzerland and Sweden. She has had residencies at Djerassi, Hedgebrook, Storyknife, The Mesa Refuge, and Camac; in October 2025, she will be in residence at Studio Faire in the South of France. She received the 2023 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Literature and Poetry from the Mississippi Arts Commission. She has also received three Mississippi Arts Commission Poetry Fellowships, the MS Institute of Arts Poetry Award, and fifteen Pushcart nominations.

“Ann has displayed remarkable dedication and skill as both a poet and educator throughout her career,” stated David Lewis, the executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. “Her qualifications make her an excellent choice for the position of Poet Laureate, and we are pleased to welcome her to this important role.”

Fisher-Wirth’s work is exhibited in her various books of poems. Her eighth book of poems is a poetry/photography collaboration with Wilfried Raussert, with translations of Fisher-Wirth’s poems into Spanish by the Women in Translation collective, Into the Chalice of Your Thoughts, and was exhibited at the Guadalajara Book Festival in 2023 and published by the University of Guadalajara Press. Fisher-Wirth, Raussert, and the translators have expanded the book and hope to publish it in the United States. Other books include Paradise Is Jagged (Terrapin Books, 2023), and a book of poetry/photography in collaboration with Maude Schuyler Clay, Mississippi. In addition, Fisher-Wirth coedited with Laura-Gray Street, The Ecopoetry Anthology (Trinity University Press, 2013), and Attached to the Living World: A New Ecopoetry Anthology (Trinity University Press, 2025).

Fisher-Wirth is eager to hit the ground running on some projects during her four-year term as Poet Laureate. “I have some ideas for a statewide poetry project that will involve members of Mississippi communities over the next four years, as well as informal recorded talks about poets and poems that could be used in classrooms. I’d like to reach out to teachers, libraries, bookstores, reading groups, and the public for their needs and suggestions.”

Nominations for Mississippi’s Poet Laureate are submitted by the public and reviewed by the Mississippi Poet Laureate Selection Panel, consisting of representatives from cultural agencies and professionals in the literary community.

The 2025 Mississippi Poet Laureate Selection Panel, facilitated by Kristen Brandt of the Mississippi Arts Commission, were David Lewis, Mississippi Arts Commission; Katie Molphus, Mississippi Humanities Council; Sarah Campbell, Mississippi Department of Archives and History; Miranda Loper, Mississippi Library Commission; Mary Heath, University Press of Mississippi; T.K. Lee, Professor of English/Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women; Catherine Pierce, outgoing Mississippi Poet Laureate. The panel recommended the names of three finalists, from which the Governor selected. Fisher-Wirth’s term as Poet Laureate will expire on April 15, 2029.

For more information about Mississippi’s Poet Laureate, visit arts.ms.gov/poetlaureate.