Edgar Allen Poe and Emily Dickinson could never beat the voices of Louisianans. These Southern state residents pioneer their own styles of lyricism and poetics through their published works.
Established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, this past April marked the 30th anniversary of National Poetry Month. Though April is over, it is never too late for poetry lovers to revel in the wide variety of poets who make up the literary world.
In the poetry medium, Louisiana poets hold a significant stake. Whether one is born in the Boot or travels here later in life, it is essential to consider what their poems attest to in both the joy and suffering of human life. It also is crucial for readers to decipher these poems’ meanings beyond the human body itself.
As we leave April behind and more poems are penned to paper, here are some influential, poetic voices right here from Louisiana and our LSU community.
Gina Ferrara
Gina Ferrara is the two-year Louisiana Poet Laureate of the 2025-27 slate, and her responsibilities as an associate professor at Delgado Community College push her to encourage young poets to make sense of their own identity through words.
As a University of New Orleans alumna, Ferrara has released five poetry collections: “Ethereal Avalanche,” “Amber Porch Light,” “Fitting the Sixth Finger,” “Weight of the Ripened” and her latest as of 2023, “Amiss.”
In her poem “One July Day” from “Amiss,” Ferrara describes a memory of a summer sunset. In detailing a girl leaving a town yet again, she captures the human urge to run away. From the sounds of bobwhite quails to river water imagery, Ferrara immerses readers in the poem with her carefully-crafted phrases.
Ferrara’s entire poetry collection “Amiss” includes poems set across U.S. states that act as a requiem for women who were killed or declared missing in them. She respectfully curates words that make sense of their own memories, giving the women voices that can no longer be heard.
Emily Goldsmith
Emily Goldsmith teaches courses like “English Composition II” and “Critical Theories” here at LSU. Goldsmith heavily emphasizes multilingualism as a part of their teachings and in their own writing.
Outside of the classroom, they have had their poetry published in over 30 publications, with the latest being in the Folklore Review’s “Skeletal” micro series.
This latest poem of theirs is titled “Double Headstone Contrapuntal.” Written with undying love, the poem captures the feeling of being enraptured by someone even from the grave.
Nuha Fariha
Nuha Fariha teaches introductory English composition courses as well as the 4000-level course “Viral Poetry in the Digital Era” at LSU. She even offers free consultations through her website for anyone seeking guidance in their own work.
Her first and latest poetry collection “God Mornings, Tiger Nights” includes poems about her Bangladeshi identity that intertwine with the way she moves through life in a world filled with individuals who attempt to isolate her.
In spite of those efforts, her words on paper inspire resilience in readers.
Ariel Francisco Henriquez
From upper-level undergraduate capstone classes to poetry writing workshops, Ariel Francisco Henriquez teaches a large range of poetry courses here at LSU.
He even has four of his own published poetry collections: “Before Snowfall, After Rain,” “All My Heroes Are Broke,” “A Sinking Ship Is Still A Ship” and “All the Places We Love Have Been Left in Ruins,” which is the latest of his works. In it, Henriquez addresses the harm inflicted by capitalism and politicians’ corruption seeping into everyday life.
In a separate poem, “Insomniami,” Henriquez uses astrology terminology and water-related references to paint a vivid picture of him not being able to sleep in his beloved city of Miami, instilling the same feelings of restlessness in anyone who lays their eyes on the poem.
