Appointment marks the first time the council has established a poet laureate position
Erin Hoover, an associate professor of English at Tennessee Tech University, has been named poet laureate for the City of Cookeville, an honor designated by the Cookeville Arts Council to recognize her contributions to the community’s literary and cultural life.
Hoover will serve a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027. The appointment marks the first time the council has established a poet laureate position.
“It is with great pleasure and admiration that I inform you of your appointment as the Poet Laureate for Cookeville, TN,” Chad McDonald, a Cookeville Arts Council board member, wrote in an official letter on behalf of the council. “Following a review of your significant impact on our city’s cultural fabric, the council has selected you to hold this prestigious title for the upcoming term.”
The council cited Hoover’s work at Tech and her leadership in the broader community as instrumental in fostering “a vibrant, inclusive environment for creative expression.”
Hoover has served on Tech’s faculty for nearly five years and has become a familiar presence in Cookeville’s arts scene. She leads “Sawmill Poetry,” a free monthly community poetry reading series hosted at Plenty Downtown Bookshop, owned by Tech alumni Lisa and David Uhrik, in Cookeville’s historic WestSide, with added support from Cookeville Arts Council. She is also the author of two poetry books, Barnburner and No Spare People.
Hoover said she is proud to serve a community that continues to elevate the arts and support local writers and performers.
“If people in Cookeville have an artistic interest, there’s a lot of support around that and people want to show up for it,” Hoover said. “We’ve had poetry readings that have had 50 people — those are Nashville type numbers. There is an interest in art and culture here in a way that people might not expect at first.”
Hoover said Cookeville is home to a growing network of creatives helping elevate the arts locally, including community leaders like Martha Highers, editor of the Upper Cumberland’s online literary journal Under the Sun.
As poet laureate, Hoover hopes to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen partnerships across the community.
“I want to invest in the community here,” Hoover said. “Whatever we do for poetry, I want to do it with community partners. I think that’s a good role for a poet laureate to have — bringing those pieces together.”
She also sees the role as a chance to highlight Tech’s literary programs.
“My target is to get young people involved in poetry,” Hoover said. “I want people to know that Tennessee Tech has strong researchers in the humanities. We have a vibrant, exciting English program and we’re doing important work. Writing, literature and the arts have a home here.”
At Tech, Hoover also serves as faculty advisor for The Iris Review, the university’s student-edited literary magazine. The publication was recently awarded a “superior” ranking in the National Council of Teachers of English’s 2025 Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines contest.
“I love that The Iris Review can be a platform for the artistic creativity of our broader Tech community,” Hoover said. “We review and publish work from students, faculty, alumni and people across the Upper Cumberland,” Hoover said. The journal will accept submissions of creative writing and art this year from Feb. 1-15.
Lisa Uhrik praised Hoover’s impact through Sawmill Poetry and the welcoming space it has created.
“The audience for Sawmill usually is multi-generational and has young college-age poets alongside a few 90-something community members,” Uhrik said. “They don’t need to share the same views on things but are encouraged to explore what good poetry is about, which can be transformational. I’ve watched our community lean in with respect and encouragement, and it’s been one of my favorite things.”
Uhrik added, “Erin has fed something good in Cookeville, and it continues to be Plenty’s privilege to support it.”
As Hoover takes on her new role, she said she does so with valuable support and encouragement from colleagues across campus.
“My chair in the Department of English, Steven Thomas, wholeheartedly encouraged this appointment,” she said. “Across our department and the College of Arts & Sciences, faculty and staff have been consistently interested in brainstorming and thinking alongside me about ways to make our programs successful.”
With her appointment, Hoover becomes a leading voice for poetry and creative expression in Cookeville — and the first to hold a title that city leaders hope will inspire an even deeper appreciation for the written word.
Photo by Keistyn Steward.
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