Governor names State Poet Laureate

A Pulitzer Prize winner and Lawton native was named Oklahoma Centennial State Poet Laureate today.
 
Celebrated author, playwright and artist N. Scott Momaday, 73, who earned the Pulitzer in 1969 for his first novel "The House Made Of Dawn," was appointed by Gov. Brad Henry at a state Capitol ceremony.
 
"In this year of our centennial celebration, our poet laureate is not only a bona fide Oklahoma treasure, but an American treasure," Henry said. "Scott Momaday's vision, artistry and genius continue to inspire and move readers throughout the world."
 
Momaday, a Kiowa who grew up on Indian American reservations and has written about Native traditions and culture, said that as poet laureate, he plans to travel across the state to visit with many Oklahomans.
 
"Scott Momaday has partly attributed his success to his perseverance, but the truth is that a talent and voice as singular as his arises from something beyond perseverance," Henry said in a statement.
 
"It is nothing short of a gift, a rare and wonderful gift. I am proud that Mr. Momaday honored me by reading his poetry at both my inaugurals, and it is my honor now to appoint him the Oklahoma Centennial State Poet Laureate."
 
Momaday's two-year term as State Poet Laureate runs until Jan. 1, 2009.  He succeeds Francine Ringold.

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