A woman who has taught poetry in Salinas Valley State Prison and Santa Cruz County jails and racked up dozens of prestigious awards and honors for her poems has been chosen as the new Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County.
Nancy Miller Gomez was officially appointed as the 2025-2026 Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Jan. 28th.
Candidates who vied for the role were considered on the basis of such things as artistic achievement in poetry and community engagement experience.
Gomez’s work explores themes of social justice, human connection, and the transformative power of poetry. She is the author of “Inconsolable Objects and “Punishment” and her poetry and essays have been published in prominent literary journals including Best American Poetry.
“Poetry can bring connection to the community even for those who have little experience with poetry,” Gomez said. “If you take it out of the ivory towers and off the academic pedestals, it has the power to unify people and deliver hope, especially for those who have been marginalized.”
True to her word, Gomez will appear at a free event open to the public at Bookshop Santa Cruz on April 14th to share poems and conversation with Farnaz Fatemi, her Poet Laureate predecessor.