About Featured Poet Laureate Joanne Townsend

Joanne Townsend grew up in Boston where after learning the importance of public libraries, public transportation, and voting Democratic, she began writing poetry. Adventure took her to Alaska before there was a pipeline. She lived in Anchorage, Alaska from 1970 to 1995 where it was her honor to serve as Alaska State Poet Laureate officially from 1988-1992 and unofficially at the request of the Alaska State Council for two more years until the appointment of Tom Sexton. In December 2005 she moved to Las Cruces, NM,

Her 24 poem collection Following the Trails appeared as an internal chapbook in Minotaur 55 (Minotaur Press 2009) She is currently working with 2 co-editors in judging poetry for Sin Fronteras: Writers without Borders 2018.

This bio was compiled from the Zingara and Sin Fronteras websites, with thanks.