GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT:

Cardenas named Milwaukee's next poet laureate

By Jim Higgins of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: March 16, 2010 |(1) COMMENTS

Bilingual poet Brenda Cardenas will be Milwaukee's next poet laureate.

Milwaukee Public Library director Paula Kiely announced Cardenas' appointment in a statement Tuesday afternoon. Cardenas will be inducted as poet laureate at a ceremony at 7 p.m. April 20 in Central Library's Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

Cardenas' most recent book of poetry, "Boomerang," was published by Bilingual Review Press in November 2009. She is an assistant professor of English at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Local poet laureates serve a two-year term to promote poetry at library and community events. Previous laureates have included Susan Firer, Peggy Hong, Marilyn Taylor, Antler and John Koethe.

The laureateship is sponsored and organized by the Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library.