Heather’s “Mommy” Named Poet Laureate

Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies, was recently named Poet Laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts. In addition to Heather, Newman has authored over 50 works for children, young adults, and grown-ups. Her literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.

Local newspaper The Republican explains that “During the two-year term, the poet laureate is responsible for educating the public about the importance of poetry through a variety of activities and events.” In fact, Newman will officially take the title at a public reading of her work on April 30 at 7:00 p.m., in the town’s Forbes Library.

Anyone who knows anything about Northampton knows that it is a lesbian mecca par excellence. Newman’s honor is thus not as much of a surprise there as it might be in, say, a town in Alabama or Missouri. It is an honor nonetheless, and a worthy acknowledgment of one of the pioneers of LGBT-themed literature for children. Let us hope she does not rest on her now very real laurels.