Jennifer Kronovet has been named the fourth Poet Laureate of Arlington County. She will serve a two-year term, acting as an advocate for poetry and the literary arts, with the goal of increasing awareness and appreciation of poetry among Arlington residents.
Kronovet is the author of two poetry collections, “The Wug Test” and “Awayward,” and co-translator of “Empty Chairs” by Chinese poet Liu Xia. She teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Arlington Public Schools, which enrolled 27,536 students during the 2023-24 school year according to data from the Virginia Department of Education (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Kronovet also serves as publisher and editor at Circumference Books, a press focused on poetry in translation. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, American Poetry Review, The Nation, and A Public Space. Having lived in several cities worldwide, she now resides in Arlington.
Her appointment follows previous poets laureate Courtney LeBlanc, Katherine E. Young, and Holly Karapetkova.
The position comes with an annual honorarium of $1,500 provided through Cultural Affairs programming funds. Kronovet’s name will be added to a commemorative plaque at County offices in Courthouse Plaza. The program is managed by the Cultural Affairs division within Arlington Economic Development.
As Poet Laureate, Kronovet will collaborate with Cultural Affairs staff to develop public programs aimed at engaging residents across all ages and backgrounds to expand access to poetry.
“Poetry is a dynamic form, taking the language of its time and pushing its expressive limits. And social media is changing the way we use language,” said Michelle Isabelle-Stark, Director of Cultural Affairs. “It’s now easier than ever to write and share poems. Our new Poet Laureate will work with our community to awaken the poet in all of us.”
Arlington has promoted poetry as part of civic life through initiatives like Moving Words—which places poems on ART buses—and Nature of Poetry Walks led by poets along nature trails. Pop-up booths called “The Poet is IN” feature regional poets creating custom poems for citizens at public venues such as farmers markets and libraries.
Poet laureates are established traditions throughout the United States and internationally; neighboring jurisdictions including Washington D.C., Prince William County, Fairfax County, Alexandria City, and Takoma Park also have their own laureates.
Selection for Arlington’s poet laureate was competitive; candidates had to be county residents aged 18 or older. Applications were reviewed by judge Lucian Mattison—a US-Argentinian poet who has published three books—and Cultural Affairs staff.
Arlington Cultural Affairs operates under Arlington Economic Development as Arlington Arts. Its mission includes supporting artists through grants and facilities; integrating public art into local infrastructure; and presenting diverse performing, literary, visual, and new media programs throughout the county.
During 2023-24 school year enrollment in Arlington County schools slightly decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous year (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). White students made up 41.9% (11,534 students), while Hispanic students accounted for 30.3% (8,335 students) (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Washington Liberty High School had the highest enrollment among county schools with 2,904 students (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home), while Montessori Public School of Arlington enrolled 103 pre-kindergarteners—the largest number among pre-K programs in the county (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home).
