By Mary Ann Gwinn
Seattle Times book editor

Washington state has a new poet laureate: Seattle's Kathleen Flenniken.

Flenniken is a published poet -- her books include "Famous" (University of Nebraska Press) and "Plume" (out this month from the University of Washington Press). She's also president of Floating Bridge Press, a nonprofit organization dedicated to publishing Washington poets, and teaches poetry writing to students of all ages. The poet laureate post is her "dream job," says Flenniken.

Flenniken will serve in her position from 2012-2014. She succeeds Samuel Green, who served as the state's inaugural poet laureate. The position was created by the legislature in 2007 and is co-sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission and Humanities Washington.

For more information, go here.