The appointment of Junauda Petrus as Minneapolis’ next Poet Laureate is a moment to celebrate. The City of Minneapolis’ Arts & Cultural Affairs Department and The Loft Literary Center deserve recognition for this outstanding selection. Junauda—a visionary writer, playwright, and multidimensional performance artist—follows in the footsteps of the remarkable Heid E. Erdrich, the city’s inaugural Poet Laureate. While Heid set a high bar, there is no doubt that Junauda will bring her singular brilliance to the role, expanding its impact in ways only she can.
Junauda’s artistry is a force—one that embodies Black wildness, futurism, ancestral healing, and joy. Her work shimmers with spectacle, love, and boundless possibility. It has been incredible to witness her journey—from her time at the Minnesota Humanities Center to becoming the award-winning author of “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them,” a successful playwright, and an acclaimed artist. She has already left an indelible mark on literature, and now she will shape Minneapolis’ poetic landscape in powerful new ways.
On a personal note, working alongside Junauda at the Minnesota Humanities Center was transformative. She challenged me to interrogate my whiteness, question assumptions in meaningful ways, and embrace the power of words and images. Whether on road trips to program sites across the state, developing traveling exhibitions, or collaborating on Absent Narratives projects with community leaders, every moment with Junauda was an opportunity to witness her unwavering commitment to love, joy, and justice. Her ability to evoke beauty and deep emotion through language is unmatched. Whether in intimate conversations or large-scale projects, she has a rare gift for finding meaning in shared experiences and helping others grow as humanists and changemakers.
Congratulations, Junauda! I cannot wait to see where you take poetry in 2025 and beyond. Minneapolis is in for something truly magical.
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By: Casey DeMarais
Casey DeMarais is the Director of Public Programming at the Minnesota Humanities Center.