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UMSL’s new poet laureate for the people

UMSL’s new poet laureate for the people

Poetry is for everyone, according to Jennifer Goldring, a student pursuing an MFA in creative writing and the 2013 poet laureate for the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She wants to unveil the contemporary poetry scene to the general public and help debunk the stereotype of poetry as inaccessible and archaic.

UMSL’s first poet laureate: Jennifer Tappenden

UMSL’s first poet laureate: Jennifer Tappenden

Jennifer Tappenden works by day making small databases for researchers to track study data. By night, the 42-year-old New York native hones her poetry skills while in pursuit of her master’s of fine arts in creative writing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She’s scheduled to graduate in December, but before then she’s spending her final year at UMSL as the university’s first poet laureate.