By Kody Kiser
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 22, 2024) — Crystal Wilkinson is a professor of English in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences and one of 16 University Research Professors for 2023-24. As the first Black woman to hold the appointment of Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021-2023, Wilkinson serves as an inspiration to many in the writing community, and has authored several award-winning books.
Wilkinson’s research and work primarily focuses on the stories of Black women and communities in the Appalachian and rural Southern canon. Her most recent work, "Praisesong