In a nod to National Poetry Month, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Caridad Moro-Gronlier as Miami-Dade's next Poet Laureate on Monday. The first woman to hold this title in the county, Moro-Gronlier steps into the role with plans to shake things up in the local arts scene. "We are making history once again by appointing Caridad as Miami-Dade’s next poet laureate, the first woman in this role," Levine Cava declared in a statement picked up by Miami-Dade's news release.
A Miami transplant at a tender age, Moro-Gronlier succeeds Richard Blanco, who held the position since its inception in 2022. Celebrated for her contributions as an educator and author, she has penned three poetry books and has served with distinction as a poetry editor and curator. Mayor Levine Cava, lauding Moro-Gronlier's appointment, spoke of her commitment to increasing access to the arts, citing it as "essential to a healthy community and a doorway for civic engagement, inclusion and positive social change."
Moro-Gronlier herself expressed gratitude and excitement for the opportunity. “I am honored and grateful to have been appointed Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County,” she stated enthusiastically, inspired to dive into community engagement. She added, promising that there is a poem in everyone, "Creativity lives within every zip code in Miami-Dade, and I can't wait to get started." Her desire is to engage with our community at large, as she told Miami-Dade Government officials.
The county has marked the occasion with praise not only from the political arena but also from former poet laureate Blanco, who passed the baton. Filled with excitement about Moro-Gronlier's new chapter, Blanco noted, “Not only is she an incredibly talented poet, but also a gifted teacher and dedicated community leader." In a press conference, he affirmed his confidence that she would connect people through the power of poetry.
Moro-Gronlier is also the associate editor of SWWIM Every Day, an online daily poetry journal for women-identifying poets, and serves as Poetry-Curator-At-Large for The Betsy’s Writer’s Room, evidencing her deep roots in the literary community. As Miami-Dade turns a new page, her presence as poet laureate is a testament to a burgeoning arts community that values diversity and the melody of honest expression.
