Scottsdale Poet Laureate celebrates community and fellowship

By Sherry Sklar

Lois Roma-Deeley, Scottsdale’s Poet Laureate, has long brought the art form to life in her community. Known for her evocative writing and commitment to arts and education, she was recently awarded a $50,000 fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. This recognition celebrates her work as a poet and advocate for fostering a more profound connection in Scottsdale and beyond.

Founded in 1934, the Academy of American Poets is a leading organization supporting and promoting poetry across the United States. Its mission is to help poets at every stage of their careers while fostering a broader appreciation for the arts.

Roma-Deeley is the author of six collections, the latest of which, “Waiting for The Mercy Ship,” will be published by Broadstone Books in 2025. Her poem “Wild Horses Drink from the River of History” features a profound encounter with the wild mustangs of Saguaro Lake and was featured in the Academy’s Poem-a-Day series in 2022, reaching more than 300,000 readers.

She was surprised to be selected alongside 21 others for the honor and was one of the fellows chosen to attend the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Tens of thousands participated in the conference this August, which featured best-selling authors, poets, and illustrators.

“I was stunned to be chosen, and the experience was amazing,” she said. “Our group had an opportunity to meet the National Endowment of the Arts staff, and I read my poem to attendees. I’m still trying to process it!” ?

Roma-Deeley plans to use the fellowship to highlight poetry in ways that might otherwise be overlooked. She sees an opportunity to connect the community and advocates finding inspiration in our desert nature. She finds that people have misconceptions about poetry and are not taught to enjoy it properly.

“Scottsdale is like a poem in the making. I mean, we have these remarkable landscapes. Even the names of our flowers and bushes are lyrical,” she said. “I would love poetry to be taught in our schools on a much broader scale. This fellowship will help me teach people how to listen and respond because you must hear it to read it properly.”

Denise Levertov wrote a book of essays titled A Poet in the World in 1973. In it, she discusses how line breaks and pauses in poetry function like musical notation.

“Without understanding this, readers may miss the significance of pauses or the role of white space, both of which are integral to the poem,” Roma-Deeley said.

She encourages emerging poets to immerse themselves in their craft:

“My journey has been imbued with as much wonder and surprise as hard work. My advice to emerging poets is to enjoy the journey and remember that the journey is in the living.”

She recommends reading and exploring all kinds, types, and eras of poetry, joining a writer’s community, and keeping a journal.

Roma-Deeley feels that deciphering poetry and understanding its form are essential for enjoyment. She compares this to understanding the rules of a game.

“My husband is a big sports fan; though I’m not, he’s patient enough to watch and explain the plays with me. After his explanation, I suddenly enjoyed it more,” she said. “Poetry is much the same. Once you understand how it works, it becomes far more pleasurable. I hope the poetry festival will be a first step toward fostering that understanding.”

Roma-Deeley will lead an upcoming festival called These Mountains Know My Name: Celebrating Poetry, Identity, and Place, on Saturday, October 19 at the Indigenous Cultural Center at Scottsdale Community College.

The event will feature a workshop for poets and writers and networking opportunities with local literary organizations. It’s free to the public, but admission is limited.

scottsdalecc.edu