Poet Laureate

2026-2028 Dallas Poet Laureate Black Ceasar

Kristoddie Woods, professionally known as Black Ceasar Poetry, is a Mississippi native based in Dallas, Texas. With a diverse background in performance arts, he is widely recognized for his Emmy Award-winning performances with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. He has also received special recognition from Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson for his contributions to the arts and the community.

 

As a multifaceted individual, Black Ceasar excels as a poet, author, teacher, filmmaker and artist. Driven by a passion for making a meaningful impact, he uses his artistry to promote social change and uplift communities. His work often addresses relevant social issues, highlighting the transformative power of storytelling.

 

Black Ceasar holds a degree in education from Texas A&M University Commerce. He is actively involved in gifted and talented programs at Paul Quinn College, a historically black college and university (HBCU) in Dallas, where he inspires young students to explore their creativity and develop their unique voices. Through his commitment to the arts and education, he continues to empower others and create a lasting legacy in the community.

Black Ceasar Poetry

If you would like to request office hours, program or event participation from the Poet Laureate and/or Youth Poet Laureate, please fill out the following request form:

Poet Laureate Request Form

Poet Laureate Program

Every two years, a local poet is honored with the Poet Laureate title and honorarium to recognize a career in writing exemplary poetry and their role in sharing poetry with the greater community. The Poet Laureate acts as an ambassador of the literary arts and the City of Dallas by creating and reading poems and presenting their poems at public meetings and events to engage diverse voices, activate the community and broaden perspectives in shaping and furthering the literary arts and culture through creative expression.

The Dallas Poet Laureate program was launched in April 2022 by Dallas Public Library, the Office of Arts and Culture and Deep Vellum, with the appointment of inaugural Poet Laureate, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. Dallas elected Dr. Mag Gabbert as the second poet laureate, to hold the office from April 2024-March 2026.

Over the course of the two-year appointed term (renewable after the first year), the Dallas Poet Laureate is a liaison, advocate and leader who inspires the diverse residents of Dallas to read, write, perform and appreciate the written and spoken word. This includes working with the Express Yourself! Youth Poetry Competition; collecting literary works that commemorate Dallas; organizing literary workshops, classes and events at libraries, Deep Vellum and other sites; holding regular artist-in-residence office hours at the Central Library and other efforts to excite discussion, exchange and participation in poetry, and to engage readers on the culture of written and spoken word in Dallas.

At the end of the term, Deep Vellum will publish a collection of the Poet Laureate's works.

Participation

• Application

• Program Guidelines

Watch this site for more details. Sign up to receive notifications about this program.