FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CREATE Announces 2026 Greene County Poet Laureate

Esther Cohen of Cornwallville, NY appointed as the first Poet Laureate of Greene County

Catskill, New York, January 28th, 2026 – CREATE Council On The Arts in partnership with the Greene County Legislature is excited to announce the appointment of Esther Cohen as Greene County's first Poet Laureate.

A panel of local writers and community members selected Cohen for her work as a poet and poetry teacher, as well as for her ongoing commitment to Greene County, which spans four decades. She has taught at Manhattanville College, The New School, Parsons School of Design, and currently teaches Good Stories in Greene County at the Cairo Library, which has been funded for many years by Poets and Writers. She is an author of nine books, and hundreds of articles, poems, stories, essays and reviews. Her most recent published book, ALL OF US (2024) is a fictional portrait, in stories and poems, of Greene County life.

Esther Cohen has been dedicated to bringing poetry to unexpected places (doing readings or workshops in diners, supermarkets, laundromats) or to under-served groups. She resides in Cornwallville, NY. Her “Poem a Day” project can be found at https://overheardec.substack.com/

CREATE Council on the Arts will host a ceremony and reading in April as a part of National Poetry Month.

The Greene County Poet Laureate is a two-year appointment that serves to promote the appreciation of poetry in Greene County as well as engage in local literary events as part of their tenure. The program joins a growing movement across New York State to recognize poets for their artistic achievements and community impact. This initiative aims to highlight literary activities in the county and ensure that poetry remains a vital part of the county’s cultural landscape.

CREATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS is a nonprofit, arts service organization whose purpose is to support and advance the arts and cultural community by broadening and enriching creative resources and economic growth in the region. CREATE serves as the Statewide Community Re-grant arts organization for Greene, Columbia and Schoharie Counties.

Since 1975, CREATE has provided information and essential services to artists, arts organizations, cultural and educational institutions, civic groups, community agencies and the general public, and continues to grow its outreach as a regional arts council. CREATE is supported in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Questions? Email grantsmanager@createcouncil.org