Valerie Macon (born 1950) is an American civil servant and poet. She was named by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

as the eighth

North Carolina Poet Laureate The North Carolina Poet Laureate is the poet laureate for the US state of North Carolina. At first a life appointment, the term of office is now two years. The program is run by the North Carolina Arts Council. Laureates are appointed by the Governo ...

, a position she was set to hold from 2014 to 2016. Appointed on July 11, 2014, she subsequently resigned on July 17, 2014 amid controversy over the appointment. Macon continues to work for the state's Department of Health and Human Services as a Disability Examiner. Her two books of poetry prior to her appointment to North Carolina poet laureate were self-published in 2011 and 2014. A third book, "A String of Black Pearls" was published by Main Street Rag Publishing in May 2015; a fourth book, "The Shape of Today" was published by Main Street Rag Publishing in 2018; a fifth book, "Page Turner" was published in 2021.

Biography

Macon studied business at

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County. There is also a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher ed ...

and also received a BA in English from Meredith College. She also has a degree in

interior decorating Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...

. Macon lives in

Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Fuquay-Varina ( ) is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner, and north of the Harnett County town of Angier and west of the unincorporated community of Willow Spr ...

and has worked as a court reporter and later as a disability determination specialist at the

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS or DHHS) is a large state government agency in the U.S. state of North Carolina, somewhat analogous to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The NCDHHS has mor ...

since 1997. As of July 20, 2014, Macon was listed as Recording Secretary of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

Awards

The governor's July 11 announcement indicated that Macon's books "Shelf Life" and "Sleeping Rough" were nominated for a

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

Controversy

Macon's qualifications for the position have been questioned and McCrory was criticized for bypassing the establishing process and making the appointment without consulting the

North Carolina Arts Council The North Carolina Arts Council is an organization in the U.S. state of North Carolina that provides grants to artists, musicians and arts organizations. The group's mission is "arts for all people." It was founded by executive order in 1964 by Gov ...

for input.

Kathryn Stripling Byer Kathryn Stripling Byer (November 25, 1944 – June 5, 2017), also called Kay Byer, was an American poet and teacher. She was named by Governor Mike Easley as the fifth North Carolina Poet Laureate from 2005 to 2009. She was the first woman to hol ...

, the state's fifth poet laureate, acknowledged that while there is no law requiring the governor to consult with the Arts Council, the process has always been more open and democratic in the past. McCrory later claimed that he was "not aware of the traditional process that was in place" for selecting the state's poet laureate. Macon subsequently resigned the post on July 18.

Bibliography

Macon's initial work was published through Old Mountain Press of

Sylva, North Carolina Sylva is an incorporated town located in central Jackson County, in the Plott Balsam Mountains of Western North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,588. It is the county seat, taking over the ro ...

. A third book was published in May 2015 through Main Street Rag Publishing and received praise from Shelby Stephenson, the laureate appointed after Valerie Macon's resignation. It is entitled "A String of Black Pearls." A fourth book entitled "The Shape of Today" was published by Main Street Rag Publishing in 2018.

Poetry

* 'Shelf Life' (2011) * 'Sleeping Rough" (2014) * "A String of Black Pearls" (2015) Main Street Rag * "The Shape of Today" (2018) Main Street Rag * "Page Turner"

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macon, Valerie Poets Laureate of North Carolina Poets from North Carolina Living people 1950 births People from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Meredith College alumni Adelphi University alumni