Phila. selects Sonia Sanchez as its first poet laureate
December 28, 2011|By John Timpane, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Sonia Sanchez, 77, will be named Philadelphia’s first poet laureate.
For years, people have called her the “unofficial poet laureate of Philadelphia.” Now it’s official.
Sonia Sanchez, 77, poet, teacher, mentor, activist, and revered Philadelphian, will be named the city’s first poet laureate by Mayor Nutter in an 11 a.m. ceremony Thursday at City Hall.
Sanchez is the author of at least 18 books of poetry, as well as plays and children’s books. She has long been one of the city’s most visible and active writers, readers, teachers, and activists for peace and social equality. Starting in January, she will serve for two years, with a stipend of $2,500 per year.
