By Hazel Scott/ASU
In January 2026, Alabama welcomed Dr. Jacqueline Allen Trimble as its new poet laureate. An English professor at Alabama State University and a celebrated poet, Trimble carries a deep passion for words and a bold vision for the state’s literary future. Tasked with championing Alabama’s writers, she is dedicated to raising the visibility of Southern poets, creating vibrant events, and sharing poetry’s power beyond the page.
“There are a lot of poets in this state, and they could have selected anyone. It’s gratifying and humbling that my peers throughout the state wanted me to be their poet laureate and to champion their poetry. That’s what has surprised me so far about being selected as the state’s poet laureate: my peers chose me,” Trimble said. “I’m very excited and very grateful for this opportunity to be poet laureate and I can’t wait to get started.”
Known for her sharp wit and compassionate voice, Trimble was selected by the Alabama Writers’ Cooperative and commissioned by Gov. Kay Ivey to serve a four-year term as Alabama Poet Laureate, succeeding Ashley M. Jones, the youngest and first African American in the role. This distinction acknowledges Trimble’s significant literary accomplishments and her commitment to amplifying diverse voices throughout Alabama.
Inspired by the timeless works of T.S. Eliot and Edgar Allan Poe, Trimble’s journey with poetry began during childhood. Though her career path led her into academia, it was her husband’s encouragement that reignited her love for writing. Today, she carries that truth boldly, using humor and history to confront difficult subjects without fear.
“It took me nearly three decades to come back to my first love – poetry,” she said.
Trimble is the author of two award-winning poetry collections: “American Happiness,” which won the prestigious Balcones Poetry Prize, and “How to Survive the Apocalypse,” hailed by the New York Public Library as one of the top 10 poetry books of 2022.
Her journey has been more than just awards and acclaim. As a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow and Cave Canem Fellow, she carried the weight and honor of communities that saw their stories reflected in her verses. Each poem she shared was a conversation—raw, hopeful, and often urgent—appearing in numerous literary journals that celebrated her unique voice.
“I often talk about very serious subjects with humor. A lot of people talk about the fact that I make them laugh and then I make them cringe. I like that because humor invites you in and then you hit them with a sledgehammer – the truth. That’s the power of poetry,” she added.
As poet laureate, Trimble envisions an Alabama where poetry belongs to everyone. She plans to create a free digital archive showcasing the state’s poets, sharing their work through modern platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
“I want to celebrate Alabama’s poets, pairing poetry with music and visual arts in events stretching from the north to the state’s coast. I believe that poetry is meant to connect with readers’ feelings—their joys and sorrows—not to be distant or complicated,” she noted.
For Trimble, being Alabama’s poet laureate means more than writing poems. It is about creating a platform where every Southern voice can be heard, where poetry inspires unity, conversation, and understanding throughout the state. In doing so, she hopes to remind us all that words hold magic and that poetry belongs to everyone.
“I came into the world writing. It’s a calling like teaching and preaching. Words to me are incantations; they are magic. So, I fell in love with words and that’s why I became a writer,” she said.