A new poet laureate is in Sullivan County succeeding Kevin Scot Graham – Kim Thai.
Before taking on the role, Thai worked as a journalist whose work appeared in AP, Fortune, USA Today, MTV and the Discovery Channel. She developed her love of poetry as an undergraduate and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School.
A central focus of Thai’s work is amplifying voices that often go unheard. She was born in the Houston suburbs to Vietnamese refugees and grew up as a queer woman before moving to New York to build her career.
After the pandemic, Thai moved to Sullivan County with her wife. Thai loves the community and hopes the position will help her connect with residents through monthly open mics and other events she plans to host across the county.
“ I’m excited to see who wants to come out to connect, explore and play with this art form,” said Thai. “I really think of it as a space more to come together as community members versus it being a writing class, and that’s really kind of my approach.”
Thai also draws on her spiritual practice as a student in the Plum Village Buddhist tradition founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, which emphasizes speaking and being heard.
To learn more about Thai’s journey from 2026-2028, and what she will be hosting in the future, look out on Facebook or Instagram for upcoming dates.
“I’m excited to make new friends in the next two years.”
Image courtesy of Kim Thai.