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Somerville names Lloyd Schwartz as its 3rd poet laureate

Lloyd Schwartz was named poet laureate of Somerville this week, according to a release form the mayor’s office. Schwartz will be the city’s third laureate since the position was created in 2015.

In a statement, Schwartz said that he’s “honored to have been chosen.”

“I’ve been living and writing in — and writing about — this city for nearly 35 years,” he said. “It’s come to feel like home. I love its down-to-earth spirit and its increasing inclusivity. Having spent my whole adult life bringing poetry to my students, I value the chance to encourage my neighbors to love poetry as much as I do.”

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Schwartz is currently the Frederick S. Troy Professor of English at UMass Boston and the author of poetry collections including “These People,” “Cairo Traffic,” and “Little Kisses,” which came out in 2017.

“Somerville has so much creative energy and power, and we are well known for our vibrant arts scene,” Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said in a statement. “Similarly, we have a talented, well-educated, and thoughtful writer’s community that needs a voice. In Lloyd Schwartz, Somerville gains a tremendous advocate and partner for the writing arts, and I am proud to welcome him as our city’s third poet laureate.”

Nicole Terez Dutton and Gloria Mindock held the position before Schwartz.


Lillian Brown can be reached at lillian.brown@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lilliangbrown.