Los Gatos Appoints New Poet Laureate

The Los Gatos Town Council has appointed Erica Goss as the next poet laureate for a two-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2014.

She succeeds former poet laureate Parthenia Hicks.

Goss' appointment was announced last month. She's an award-winning poet with numerous honors who is well connected to the local poetry community through her work with Poetry San Jose. She's committed to connecting the Los Gatos community to the world of poetry, the town said in a press release.

Goss has published a significant body of work in many journals and anthologies, as well as her own book, Poems by Erica Goss, released last year.

Among the many awards Goss has received for her poetry are: finalist in the Fermoy International Poetry Contest; honorable mention is the Passager Poetry Contest; winner in the Many Mountains Moving Poetry Contest; and the Edwin Markham Poetry Award, judged by the Poet Laureate Of California in 2007.

As part of the application process, Goss submitted original poems, Dinner at Manresa and Mt. Hamilton in January.

Goss holds a master of fine arts degree, with a poetry emphasis and a bachelor’s degree in English from San Jose State University.

She is an adjunct professor of humanities and English at DeVry University in San Jose, and has been a poetry teacher and an English instructor at high schools in Saratoga and Cupertino.

Goss will work with the Library Board, the Friends of the Los Gatos Library and town staff to design activities that bring awareness to the Los Gatos community about the world of poetry.

She will also be asked to write original poems for major town events during her tenure.