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Seven area poets have held the title of Poet Laureate of Northwest Florida since 1987.
Juliet Z. DeMarko, MA, was appointed interim poet laureate in February 2009. On April 12, 2011 “Julie” was named as the sixth official Poet Laureate of Northwest Florida. A former restaurateur, chef and author of two memoir cookbooks , DeMarko’s first book of poetry, ''Blue Ridge Childhood'', appeared in 2011. DeMarko’s term ended in March 2014.
Jamey Jones, the seventh poet laureate, is a college instructor at Pensacola State College and author of ''Blue Rain Morning''. He was named poet laureate in a process that took nearly a year.
Traditionally, at least one collection of work by the poet laureate is published by West Florida Literary Federation, beginning with Rosasco-Soule’s ''Panhandle Memories: A Lived History'' in 1987. In 1990, the Federation published Songs of Passion: Selected Poems, 1985-1989, the works of Temme. Mary A. Hood’s ''Opatoula'' was published by WFLF in July, 1993. In March 1996, the Federation published ''Our Own Sweet Time'' by O’Brien. Langhorne’s ''Tombigbee'' was published in 1999, followed by Listen to the River in 2001. DeMarko’s ''Fashioned by Memory'' published in 2014 by WFLF.
== '''Sources:''' ==
Cannon, Ron. Press release,Sept.20,1989.“Adelia Rosasco-Soule,The First Poet Laureate of the West Florida Panhandle,” reception program, Sept. 20, 1986. ''Pensacolian''. Oct. 5, 1986. ''Florida Today'', 13B, Dec. 31, 1989. Organizational history, West Florida Literary Federation. WFLF Archives. Freckmann, Donna. “Coastal Lights: Guard Your Body, Save Your Soul,” ''Pensacola Today'', Aug./Sept. 1998. ''Winter Clothes'', Henry Langhorne, Program, West Florida Literary Federation, Dockside Publications, Inc., Feb. 7, 2003. McCartan, Sarah. ''In Weekly'', Aug. 7, 2013. “From the President,” ''The Legend'', WFLF newsletter, Feb. 2011. Hood, Mary A., Pepper. Ellen G., ed. ''Opatoula'', West Florida Literary Federation, 1993. 3/0/01. Walker, Andrea. “Viewpoint: Meet Pensacola’s Own Poet Laureate, ”''Pensacola News Journal'', Sept. 21, 2014.