On April 20th, 2011, Maine Gov. Paul LePage installed Wesley McNair ’63 as the state’s fourth poet laureate. Recently retired from the University of Maine at Farmington, where he co-founded and directed the Creative Writing Program, McNair plans to use his new status to bring poetry back into everyday life, as it was in days gone by.
McNair grew up in Claremont, NH, attended KSC, and taught high school and at Colby-Sawyer before moving to Maine in 1986. His latest book is Lovers of the Lost: New & Selected Poems, and he has received many awards for his creative work. His work has appeared on NPR’s Weekend Edition and The Writer’s Almanac, with Garrison Keillor; two editions of The Best American Poetry; and more than 50 anthologies. He has authored or edited 18 books, including poetry, nonfiction, and anthologies.
Wesley also received the KSC Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1994, recogniving his successful career. I also believe he may have received an honorary degree from Keene State. I’m not a huge poetry fan but his work is great fun.
Wes did receive an honorary degree (in Humane Letters) in 2003.