The Town of Branford, in cooperation with the Trustees of The Blackstone Library, is pleased to announce the establishment of the office of Poet Laureate. After a careful review of applications and interviews with the finalists, the Committee selected Judith K. Liebmann as the first to hold the position of Poet Laureate.
Liebmann brings decades of experience writing, publishing, teaching and sharing poetry with others to the position, and plans to dedicate her three-year appointment to using her experience to open the world of poetry to Branford residents of all ages – in workshops, lectures, readings and mixed media events.
Liebmann’s work has been widely published, in numerous literary journals as well as New York Times and Scientific American and has been anthologized in the short story collection The Safe Deposit Box. A new collection of poems, Ekphrasis, was published in December, 2023 (PreSSrappel, New York City).
In addition to writing poetry and fiction, Liebmann earned a Ph.D. in Literature from Yale University, where she taught for a number of years. She then became the Director of the Writing Program at the Center for Independent Study there. She has received many awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship, a Germanistic Society of America Grant, a German Academic Exchange Grant, and a grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. She is a Fellow of Davenport College at Yale and served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Yale Alumni Association.
Here in Branford, where she has lived for more than thirty years, she has been an active member of the community. She has served as a Director on the Boards of the Wightwood School, BCTV, and the Historic Branford Center Cemetery. In cooperation with Branford Public Works, Branford Land Trust, and the Pine Orchard Association, she has designed the landscaping for several “pocket parks,” including the Triangle Park in Pine Orchard. The Poet Laureate can be contacted at: poetlaureate@branford-ct.gov.
Click here for a letter from Judith to the Branford Community.
POETRY WORKSHOP First Monday of the Month at 7:00pm at Willoughby Wallace Library:
POETRY WORKSHOP Second & Fourth Thursdays of the Month at 5:00pm and First Saturday of each month, 10:30am-12:30pm at James Blackstone Library:
| Date/Time | Event | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri. Nov. 15th, 8:00am-2:30pm | High School Field Trip | Poetry Workshop Part 2 (Part 1-at Branford Historic Cemetary 9:30am-12:00) | James Blackstone Library |
| Sun., Dec 15th, 1:30-4:30 pm | The Coming of the Light | Poems from many cultures in celebration of the Winter Solstice. | James Blackstone Library |
| Sat., Feb. 1st, 1-4pm | Ekphrastic Art & Poetry Event | BACA gallery | |
| Wed, Feb 5th, 7pm | Poems of Love | Writing Poems of love (in time for Valentine's Day) Open Workshop. | Willoughby Wallace Library |
| Sat., Feb 8th 1:30-4:30pm | For Valentine's Day | Local Poets read Poems of Love | James Blackstone Library |
| Wed, Mar. 19th, 7pm | Readings from A Rilke Miscellany | Judith K. Liebmann's new collection of never-before translated short works. | Willoughby Wallace Library |
| Sat., Mar. 22nd 3-5pm | Readings from Quantum | Poet Laureate Judith K. Liebmann reads from her new collection, Quantum | James Blackstone Library |
| Sat., April 5th 1-4pm | April is National Poetry Month! | Celebrate and get to know your Local Poets. Readings, book signings,music, conversation, refreshments. | James Blackstone Library |
| Wed, Apr. 23rd, 7pm | Poetry in Extremis | How Poets speak for us in the worst of times. | Willoughby Wallace Library |
| Sat., May 17th 1-4pm | The Poets Among Us | Readings by Branford residents and members of the Poet Laureate Workshops. | BACA gallery |
