Poetry In Action With Zoe Ward
- Emily Fackler
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Tennessee Youth Poet Laureate Zoe Ward has wasted absolutely no time during her
year-long tenure.
She’s both promoting literary initiatives all over the state of Tennessee and making a name for herself as a creator and writer.
Her literary initiatives focus on encouraging and uplifting young writers in their craft, while also providing supportive spaces in which they can connect with one another.
“It can be really hard to find a concentrated community of writers when you’re
young, so that was something that really inspired me to keep going,” said Ward.
Originally a Nashville local, Ward is currently splitting her time between completing her sophomore year at Denison University and promoting creative writing in her home state.
“I’m definitely in a unique position because I am going to school in Ohio. Typically,
I’m communicating virtually. The main role of a Youth Poet Laureate is to engage
with the community and get people more interested in expressing themselves
through poetry and other forms of art,” she shared. “I like to do workshops and
readings, so I’m very interested in going to local community areas and just pulling
in members of the community.”
During these events, Ward has been hard at work in classrooms and libraries, proving to the public that poetry goes beyond its perceived “dusty” reputation and exists as an outlet of creativity for any who are interested in using it.
“The Brentwood library had the pleasure of hosting Zoe for a poetry workshop, and
her enthusiasm brought a truly wonderful energy to our community,” said Mary
Catherine Rooker, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Brentwood Library. “We are so thankful that Zoe could provide such valuable exposure to the arts.”
She added that it was the powerful encouragement and mentorship she received
through programs such as the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio that gave her inspiration
to keep writing and provided information about avenues for doing so, including
grant funding and professorships.
Ward said that these opportunities would not be possible without the presence of a
passion from the very beginning, which brought early exposure to mentors and creative writing education.
“I think in high school and even before, I was just very hungry for any type of
opportunity or writing experience because I knew I loved writing so much and I
couldn’t see myself getting passionate about any other career so I started seeking
out any opportunities I could find,” Ward shared.
Some of the opportunities Ward finds the most joy in are those that nurture young
readers and writers from the very beginning of their education. The ability to share
her hunger for education in the arts has left a mark in more ways than one.
“Zoe’s group poetry exercises were an absolute hit in our classroom,” shared Susan
Ward, a teacher at Lipscomb elementary. “One of my students was so inspired, she
wrote down her whole poem and read it aloud to Zoe before she left. That student
painted her poem after class and we hung it in the classroom as a symbol of creative
expression – a testament to Zoe’s impact on young writers.”
Ward praises the Youth Poet Laureate program as an opportunity unique unto itself
because of the connections she’s formed during her tenure. Ward said that
connecting with the other laureates on a regular basis has built an invaluable
community that she turns to regularly for support.
In talking more about the resources available for young writers, Ward took time to
emphasize being thoughtful about choosing a college program that was both
affordable and personal.
“I did not want to get a degree in the arts and also go into debt, but I also was not
going to go to college unless I could be a creative writing major; it just didn’t make
sense to me.” Ward added, “I went to Denison and walked into the English office,
where I met the head of the creative writing program and they were so open and
honest with me, which is so important. The professors here have open arms.”
In working with her own students as Youth Poet Laureate, Ward creates an
environment where each voice can be authentic. Fostering friendly conversation is
supported in her method because she believes that telling young writers that their
work has merit and ending on a positive note can be key to success.
“I always want to encourage young students to write about any emotion they feel
and typically, when people read it, they won’t say ‘oh, that person is being dramatic,’
but instead they’ll say ‘wait, I relate to that.’”
Despite questions about her young age and encouragement to slow down and enjoy
the experiences of being young, Ward remains hungry and proud of her drive.
She remains resolute in her belief that if young writers stay driven towards more
opportunities, the narrative will flip and begin to show support. Her manager and
executive director at Southern Word, Benjamin Smith, has no doubt her passion
will spark change.
“Zoe is not just exceptional as a poet, having refined her craft to a tremendous
extent for her age," said Smith. "Zoe has exceptional drive to share her gift with
others, especially young people, to make a difference in the world around her."
As she continues her term as Poet Laureate, Ward continues to be encouraged by
the opportunities available for young writers in Tennessee.
“I think Southern Word is such a great organization. They hold so many workshops
and speaking events so that students can have exposure. I know it can be hard to
find things, but once you meet those people, they’ll just keep drawing you in.
Projects like the ones at the Frist are amazing for that.”
Although her laureate term will be up in May and she’s still working towards
completing her degree, Ward feels committed to continuing to support young
creatives in their journeys.
“Take advantage of everything you have, and be open to all of the people who want
to pour into you. The writing world is so welcoming to upcoming poets, so don’t say
‘no’ too much.”
The Tennessee Youth Poet Laureate is a program of Southern Word and Urban Word. Southern Word serves more than 6,500 young people in 8 Tennessee counties each year by developing, placing, and supporting writer and music mentors in schools and community organizations. Learn more at www.southernword.org.
Interested in becoming a Youth Poet Laureate? Click here.
For some of Zoe’s published poetry, click here.
This article was written Emily Fackler