Inspired by artists like Amanda Gorman, Dallas launches its own poet laureate program The Dallas Public Library, Office of Arts and Culture and Deep Vellum are launching the literary initiative. Jennifer Scripps of the Office of Arts and Culture (left), Will Evans of Deep Vellum (center) and Jo Giudice of the Dallas Public Library (right) gather on the third floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Dallas on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. The three joined forces to plan Dallas' new poet laureate program.(Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer) 8:00 AM on Jun 9, 2021 CDT Dallas will soon join other cities like Houston, San Antonio and Los Angeles in designating a poet laureate, all in an effort to boost the city’s literary scene. The poet laureate, whose term will begin in April 2022, will assume a formidable task: building bridges between Dallas’ writers and diverse communities.