Hello, everyone and welcome.
Thanks for coming out on a beautiful night.
Who knew it would be so perfect?
I did--
[LAUGHTER]
I didn't.
But I'm really glad.
I'm really glad that it is so perfect
and not any chillier than it could be.
Thank you all for coming.
Welcome to tonight's very special event where we together
collectively launch Alberto Ríos as the inaugural State Poet
Laureate of Arizona.
That is an exciting thing.
[APPLAUSE]
My name is Tyler Meier, and I am--
serve as the executive director of the University of Arizona
Poetry Center.
And on behalf of the Center, on behalf
of this building, on our library collection,
on our community-based programming,
and the many people and stakeholders,
including many of you who are here tonight, thank you.
Welcome to our guest as well.
Thank you so much for coming.
I will quickly read something from someone who is not here
but wishes that he could be.
And so I will do a quick impersonation
of Mayor Rothschild, who sent a courier over
with this document that wanted-- and wanted
to make sure that it was read.
And so bear with me here.
"To Arizona Poet Laureate, Alberto Alvaro Ríos,
University of Arizona faculty, staff, and students,
distinguished guests.
I very much regret that I cannot be with you for this event due
to a prior commitment.
I'd like to thank Senator Melvin for sponsoring the bill that
established a State Poet Laureate and Governor
Brewer for making this appointment.
My thanks also to the University of Arizona Poetry Center
for hosting this event and filling the critical role you
do in our city and state.
Congratulations, Professor Ríos, on becoming Arizona's first
Poet Laureate.
The position is an important one with real responsibilities.
Tucson's Poet Laureate, Rebecca Seiferle, who is here,
has been visiting K through 12 classrooms, particularly
the early grades, to help get children excited about reading
and writing using poetry.
Reading a poem is like unwrapping a surprise,
and writing a poem--
even children who write poems surprise themselves,
and that's fun.
So while I have the highest regard for Professor
Ríos's many professional and artistic achievements,
achievements which have earned him the highest accolades,
I am equally appreciative that he is willing to share his love
and his knowledge of poetry with audiences of all ages
throughout our great state.
Again, congratulations, Professor, and thank you.
May your term be a productive and fulfilling one.
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild."
[APPLAUSE]
So this is me again, no more impersonating.
Some quick thank yous to begin--
a special thank you to Mary Wildner-Bassett,
the dean of the College of Humanities,
and to Bill Finley, the director of Development
for the College of Humanities, as well as the Poetry Center
staff for helping to organize the many, many details
of this day.
A special thanks also to my colleague Gail Browne.
Poetry centering is a team sport,
and I'm thankful for all of the help that each of you provides.
A generous thank you to the Arizona Commission
on the Arts for their partnership in this launch
event, particularly co-conspirators Jessica Rajko,
Jaime Dempsey, and Bob Booker.
The commission works to support a statewide network
of the arts in Arizona, and we are so grateful for your work.
A warm thank you to Ander Monson and the New Michigan Press
for conceiving and producing the commemorative
broadsides that I hope many of you have picked up on your way
in.
I see some of them up.
Good.
If you don't have one, there are more.
And so if you would like to have one before leaving,
please pick one up.
The broadside features an unpublished poem
that Alberto shared with us, that Andrew designed.
And we're really thrilled to offer this
to you as a way to commemorate what's very special about
this evening.
So thank you to Ander for this help with the poem "Sudden
Smells, Sudden Songs."
There are books for sale this evening.
Because we have been keeping Alberto
going all day at a blistering pace without mercy,
we have scheduled a much deserved meal for him
after the reading.
He is really, really nice, as you are about to see.
[LAUGHTER]
So please help us by not asking him
to sign your book or broadside.
You could, but we also want to make sure that he eats.
[LAUGHTER]
So we-- he probably won't be able to resist if you do ask.
Instead, we've arranged for him to pre-sign these books.
So each of these books already has a signature,
if you're interested.
So as you purchase, you'll be able to already have
a signed book.
In addition, they're at a discount,
and the sales support the Poetry Center and the UA BookStores.
So buy many.
Be excited.
They're already signed.
[LAUGHTER]
There will be a short question and answer after Alberto
speaks this evening.
And for our regular attendees, we
are excited to try a new format.
Please write your questions on the slips of paper
that we've been passing around, and then pass them
to the center aisle.
Volunteers will bring them up to the front
and Cybele will be up here to have
the conversation with Alberto.
So if you have a question as you're listening tonight,
write it on the slip, pass it to the center aisle,
and we'll bring them up to the front.
It's my pleasure now to welcome the University
of Arizona Provost Andrew Comrie, a great friend
and supporter of the Poetry Center.
After Provost Comrie speaks, Bob Booker,
the executive director for the Arizona Commission on the Arts,
will introduce Alberto Ríos and make a few remarks.
Please now help me welcome Provost Comrie.