Colin Channer, a writer whose origin lies in the beautiful island of wood and water, Jamaica, is the seventh poet laureate for Rhode Island in the United States.
Governor Dan McKee recently nominated him to the five-year post, praising him as “an accomplished writer whose talent and work have touched the lives of so many people.”
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“I’m excited to see him continue his craft here in the Ocean State where he will not just be a leader in poetry but serve as a poetry and literary inspiration to Rhode Islanders across our state,” he noted.
Channer remarked, “To be named State Poet is a gushy surprise and leveling honor. Poetry is many things, including a reachable, teachable way to strengthen empathy and stretch toward transcendence. It’s also just a bunch of fun.”
“I was born lucky, as my mother Phyllis, a retired pharmacist, just loves to say. This shocking honor proves her point. And hey, she’s always right!” he noted.
Channer is a well-known poet, fiction writer, and editor around the globe.
His latest book, Console, is a collection of poems that was both a nominee for the New England Book Award and a New Yorker Magazine Best Book of 2023.
At Brown University, Channer holds the director of Graduate Studies position and is an associate professor in the Department of Literary Arts.
