Poet Laureate

Some may know Damien Flores as the host of KUNM’s “spoken word hour” on Sunday evenings. Others have known him as a teacher and mentor over the past 15 years. As of July 7, he will now be known as Albuquerque’s 7th Poet Laureate.

Last week the Academy of American Poets announced it is awarding a $1 million to the 23 Poet Laureates around the country. Each poet will receive $50,000 to put towards programs in their community.Lauren Camp has been New Mexico's poet laureate since 2022, but it took time for her to find her way to poetry. Now she wants to help others find that path as well. She spoke with KUNM about her plans.