Press Release, James Blackstone Memorial Library

The Town of Branford, in cooperation with the Trustees of The Blackstone Library, is pleased to announce the establishment of the office of Poet Laureate. A Selection Committee was formed, comprised of Frank Carrano (President, Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance – BACA), Chad Edgar (Blackstone Library Trustee), Katy McNicol (Blackstone Library Director), Laureen Mutuski (Branford High School English Department), and Alice Pentz (Willoughby Wallace Library Director). After a careful review of applications and interviews with the finalists, the Committee selected Judith K. Liebmann as the first to hold the position of Poet Laureate.

Liebmann brings decades of experience writing, publishing, teaching and sharing poetry with others to the position, and plans to dedicate her three-year appointment to using her experience to open the world of poetry to Branford residents of all ages – in workshops, lectures, readings and mixed media events.

“Liebmann’s extensive experience teaching and writing poetry makes her a perfect inaugural Poet Laureate,” says McNicol. “Her enthusiasm for sharing her insights into poetry is evident, and we are looking forward to working with her to foster an appreciation of poetry throughout the Branford community.”

Liebmann’s work has been widely published, in numerous literary journals as well as New York Times and Scientific American and has been anthologized in the short story collection The Safe Deposit Box. A new collection of poems, Ekphrasis, was published in December, 2023 (PreSSrappel, New York City).

In addition to writing poetry and fiction, Liebmann earned a Ph.D. in Literature from Yale University, where she taught for a number of years. She then became the Director of the Writing Program at the Center for Independent Study there. She has received many awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship, a Germanistic Society of America Grant, a German Academic Exchange Grant, and a grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. She is a Fellow of Davenport College at Yale and served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Yale Alumni Association.

Here in Branford, where she has lived for more than thirty years, she has been an active member of the community. She has served as a Director on the Boards of the Wightwood School, BCTV, and the Historic Branford Center Cemetery. In cooperation with Branford Public Works, Branford Land Trust, and the Pine Orchard Association, she has designed the landscaping for several “pocket parks,” including the Triangle Park in Pine Orchard.

A public reception celebrating the inauguration of the office of Branford Poet Laureate, and of Judith K. Liebmann as its first occupant, will be held in the Reading Room at the James Blackstone Memorial Library on January 27th, 2024 at 3:30 PM. Everyone is encouraged to come and meet the new Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate can be contacted at: poetlaureate@branford-ct.gov. The Blackstone Library is located at 758 Main Street, Branford, CT, 06405.