City of santa barbara Poet Laureate: George Yatchisin
The City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Program was established in 2005 to inspire the local community and increase access to poetry and the spoken word. The Santa Barbara Public Library serves as the official “home” of the Poet Laureate Program and a major partner in the stewardship of this program. Learn more about the library's events here.
George Yatchisin serves as the current City Poet Laureate (2025- 2028). A longtime Santa Barbara resident, George has built a prolific career as a writer. His work has been featured in well-known publications such as Edible Santa Barbara, The Santa Barbara Independent, Sunset, the California Review of Books, and KCET’s food blog. He has also authored two poetry collections: Feast Days and The First Night We Thought the World Would End. His essays and poems have been widely anthologized, making him a prominent voice in the literary community.
past Poets Laureate
2023-2025 | Melinda Palacio
2021-2023 | Emma Trelles
2019-2021 | Laure-Anne Bosselaar
2017-2019 | Enid Osborn
2015-2017 | Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
2013-2015 | Chryss Yost
2011-2013 | Paul Willis
2009-2011 | David Starkey
2007-2009 | Perie Longo
2005-2007 | Barry Spacks
In July 2018, three of our Past Poets Laureate traveled to Ireland! Learn more about their adventure.
Poets Emeriti with U.S. Poet Laureate. Photo credit: David Bazemore
Left to right: Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Enid Osborn, Perie Longo, Chryss Yost, Tracy K. Smith (United States Poet Laureate Emerita), David Starkey, Paul Willis, and Phil Taggart (Ventura County Poet Laureate Emeritus).
