Mayor Indya Kincannon has announced her appointment of the City’s fifth Poet Laureate. Linda Parsons will begin her two-year term on July 1, 2025. 

Parsons succeeds Joseph Woods aka Black Atticus, who has held the position since 2023. During his tenure, Woods gave memorable performances at multiple City events, including the Mayor’s second inauguration, two State of the City addresses and a Fourth of July concert with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. 

Parsons, a member of the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame, has written six poetry collections, most recently Valediction: Poems and Prose (2023). Five of her plays were produced by Knoxville’s Flying Anvil Theatre. Her works explore subjects such as family history, childhood, gardening/the natural world, and loss/rebirth.  

She is currently the poetry editor for Madville Publishing and the copy editor for Chapter 16, the literary website of Humanities Tennessee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Knoxville Writers Guild. 

Knoxville’s Poet Laureate program was established in 2012 in collaboration with the Arts and Culture Alliance. The Poet Laureate serves as a public voice of Knoxville, creating city-specific works and participating in literary outreach and educational programs. The poet serves two years and receives a $3,000 annual honorarium.


Knoxville’s previous Poets Laureate also include: 

• Songwriter, musician and playwright R.B. Morris

• Retired director of UT’s Creative Writing Program Marilyn Kallet; 

• Slam poet, performer and founder of Knoxville’s Youth Poet Laureate program Rhea Carmon. 

Visit KnoxvilleTN.gov/Poet for details about the program, the poets and their work.