English faculty member Mark Turcotte named Illinois Poet Laureate

Mark Turcotte, distinguished writer in residence in DePaul’s English Department, has been named Illinois Poet Laureate by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Humanities, and the Poetry Foundation. He begins a four-yea​r term on July 1.

Turcotte, a published poet, author and proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe, is the sixth Illinois Poet Laureate in state history. An honorary state position appointed by the governor, the poet laureate is tasked with promoting access to literary arts and raising awareness through statewide community engagement.

“Mark Turcotte’s work reflects the complex and beautiful landscape of both our state and the country as a whole through his unique perspective as a Native writer who has lived across the U.S. but has found a home here in Illinois,” says Pritzker in the announcement.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a DePaul College of Law alumna, also shared her congratulations. “Illinois has a long tradition of supporting the work of artists and in these uncertain times, we often look to art to bridge divides and renew our shared sense of humanity,” Stratton says. “I look forward to the ways Mark's poetry will create space for reflection, inspire hope, and draw us closer to one another."

Turcotte joins an impressive history of acclaimed Illinois poets laureate including Howard B. Austin (1936-1962), Carl Sandburg (1962-1967), Gwendolyn Brooks (1968-2000), and Kevin Stein (2003-2017). In 2020, Pritzker named Angela Jackson as the state’s fifth poet laureate and declared John Prine posthumously as the first Honorary Poet Laureate of Illinois.

“Of course, I was flattered when I first learned that I had been nominated to apply for laureate. But, to actually be named as the laureate and added to this impressive and exclusive list, I have to confess, left me rather shocked and a tiny bit terrified," Turcotte says. "And, now, my heart and mind are swooning with all the messages of belief in me and my work, and I’m very close to perhaps feeling somehow worthy the honor."

Miles Harvey, professor and chair of English, has worked with Turcotte since in 2009.

“In Mark’s poem ‘Dear New Blood,’ the speaker implores a ‘fully mixed up’ young person to ‘shout me … your long, wounded song. / Tell me everything you know.’  And for me, those lines speak both to why Mark is such a beloved teacher at DePaul and to why he'll be a superb poet laureate. On top of being a great poet, great educator and great person, he’s a great listener. And I think his empathy will prove to be a huge asset in this exciting new role,” Harvey says.

The Chicago Tribune has more about Turcotte’s selection and life. A recording of the poet laureate announcement by Pritzker begins at the 39:15 mark here.