The official announcement arrived during a week when it felt as if the forces of evil had taken hold of our country. Perhaps they have, at least in part. It’s difficult to celebrate artistic achievement when American protestors are being murdered in the street by representatives of the federal government. It’s difficult to feel joy when immigrants, many of them far along in the legal naturalization process, and some of them young children, are being violently snatched off the streets and imprisoned. But it’s important to create art, especially in these times, and it’s equally vital for artists to seek financial support for their work.

I learned I would receive an award for Individual Excellence in Poetry, joining a group of poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, critics, composers, and choreographers. I’m grateful to the Ohio Arts Council for this award and to the Ohio Legislature behind them. At a time when so much artistic funding has been cut or eliminated, it’s refreshing to discover that the political will still exists to fund artists, at least at the state level. Thank you, Ohio, for believing in art!