Rosemarie Dombrowski, a lecturer at Arizona State University, has been chosen as the inaugural poet laureate of the City of Phoenix. As the city’s official proponent of literacy and art, Dr. Dombrowski will give public readings and compose poems for special events. She will begin her two-year term in January.
In accepting the position, Dr. Dombrowski said: “Poetry is such a wonderful avenue for self-expression. I hope I can convince people of all ages that it’s a vehicle we can use to express ourselves.”
Dr. Dombrowski is the founder and editor-in-chief of Rinky Dink Press and the editor of the literary magazine Four Chambers Press. She is the author of the poetry collection The Book of Emergencies (Five Oaks Press, 2014) and the forthcoming The Philosophy of Unclean Things (Finishing Line Press).
Dr. Dombrowski is a native of Kansas and grew up in Missouri. She moved with her family to Mesa, Arizona at the age of 14. Dr. Dombrowski holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in American literature from Arizona State University.