Aurora ready to induct first poet laureate on Jan. 15

Aurora's first poet laureate will be inducted this week, beginning a new era of poetic expression in the City of Lights.

Longtime resident Karen Fullett-Christensen will be installed as the city's inaugural poet laureate at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, in a ceremony at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School, 2700 Stonebridge Blvd. The school is named in honor of the late Illinois poet laureate and author.

Mayor Richard C. Irvin announced Fullett-Christensen's appointment last month as the city's first poet laureate. A retired urban planner and executive with the city, Fullett-Christensen has written several collections of poetry and creative nonfiction. She has completed 16 self-published manuscripts and is working on her 17th body of work.

She will serve through the end of Irvin's mayoral term in 2021.

During the ceremony, she will deputize three deputy poet laureates to assist her: Quentin Johnson, Fermina Ponce and Anthony Stanford were all finalists in the selection process.

An additional student deputy poet laureate will be added to the team in the near future. The selection process for that position will be announced during the ceremony.

The installation ceremony is open to the public.