Coles a natural as state bard

Making good choices in the creative arts is not rocket science. Sometimes it can be more difficult. But Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. scored a bull's-eye when he named University of Utah poet Katharine Coles as the new poet laureate of Utah.

The governor threaded the needle with this choice.

When poet Kenneth Brewer died of pancreatic cancer recently, he left large shoes for the next state poet to fill. Coles will slip into those shoes very comfortably. An associate professor of English at the University of Utah, she has been a writer, teacher, organizer, fund-raiser and champion of the literary arts for most of her life. She is responsible for the celebrated Weeks Poetry Series at Westminster College and has an uncanny ability to not only fly with the nation's literary eagles but to work well with writers and artists at the entry level — including children at homeless shelters. You can find her fingerprints on most worthwhile writing endeavors in the state.

More importantly, her own writing is respected and admired. And though her poems often veer toward the cerebral and enigmatic, her personal warmth and natural curiosity make her a perfect ambassador for not only the state, but for its writers, teachers, readers, publishers and book promoters. She has traveled widely, and her extensive literary connections will allow her to tap sources and resources on the national level to keep the state at the forefront of writing in the West. As a former representative of the Utah Arts Council and an instructor at several local institutions — including the Writers at Work Conference — she will be able to make an immediate impact.

Coles will serve in her post for five years, following the trail blazed by her friends, David Lee and Ken Brewer. Both of them took their poet laureate status seriously and worked hard — some say they went above and beyond — to be strong and sure voices for the art of poetry in Utah. There is no doubt Coles will do the same.

Congratulations to her. And congratulations to the governor for his choice.