Begin Where You Are: The Colorado Poets Laureate Anthology is a book of firsts. It is the first ever US state poet laureate anthology. It is the first poetry collection featuring all ten Colorado poets laureate (the second oldest state poet laureateship, established in 1919). And it is the first place readers can discover unpublished poems by Andrea Gibson—bestselling author and one of the most influential spoken word artists of our generation.
This book contains celebrated works from Thomas Hornsby Ferril and others, alongside never-before-published pieces from Bobby LeFebre, Joseph Hutchison, David Mason, and Mary Crow. Contemporary poets offer perspectives on how serving as Colorado poet laureate shaped their writing and worlds.
Spearheaded by award-winning social entrepreneur Turner Wyatt, this book is a movement with a mission: A portion of the proceeds will fund poetry programming in underserved Colorado schools, libraries, and rural areas, making each purchase an investment in expanding access to this essential art form.

Featured poets: Andrea Gibson, Bobby LeFebre, Joseph Hutchison, David Mason, Mary Crow, Thomas Hornsby Ferril, Milford E. Shields, Margaret Clyde Robertson, Nellie Burget Miller, Alice Polk Hill
 

This anthology was edited by a committee of five Colorado Poets Laureate: Andrea Gibson, Bobby LeFebre, Joseph Hutchison, David Mason, and Mary Crow, supported by Turner Wyatt and Julia Seldin. The editorial committee gladly read through over a century of Colorado poetry to make these selections.