In a fast-paced society where life moves a mile a minute, current Mississippi Poet Laureate and Mississippi State University professor Catherine Pierce credits poetry as a way to slow down and connect with reality.
Pierce grew up in Wilmington, Del., constantly surrounding herself with books, movies, musicals and other works of art. From an early age, she was drawn to the intricacy of poetry. She remembers authoring one of her first poems.
“I wrote a little haiku … about purple pansies,” Pierce said. “I liked the idea of creating something that really focused closely on this one little thing.”
Her love of literature and poetry continued to grow into Pierce’s adult years. She attended Susquehanna University, a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, for her undergraduate degree where she majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in theatre.
There, she found fellow creative individuals in an encouraging community.
“I was doing a lot of writing and stage stuff, and I also made a lot of really good friends,” Pierce said.
Pierce attended Ohio State University for her MFA and the University of Missouri for her Ph.D. She came down to Starkville in 2007 to be an MSU professor and has been ever since, teaching creative writing, literature and poetry classes. 
Professor Becky Hagenston is a colleague and friend of Pierce and a fellow educator in the MSU Department of English. She applauds Pierce for her ability to create poetry as well as foster a love of poetry among students.
“I assign her work in my creative writing classes, and my students not only learn from her poems but also enjoy them, because they do what the best poems do: they make us think about and appreciate the world in a new way,” Hagenston said.
Pierce has published four books and a plethora of poems. She gains inspiration in many places, from world issues to her own home.
“My interests and obsessions shift over time, as they do for everybody,” Pierce said. “In the last bunch of years, I’ve found myself gravitating toward writing about the climate crisis, the Earth and the natural world. I also write about parenting.”
In April 2021, after an interview process and beating out several finalists, Pierce was chosen to be poet laureate of Mississippi by Governor Tate Reeves. She shares what the role entails and her commitment to growing a love of poetry in Mississippi.
“I get to work with people across the state to help them gain access to poetry,” Pierce said. “I’m really interested in helping people see that poetry is something for everyone and something that connects to all parts of our lives.”
In this role, Pierce will visit schools and community events in hopes to inspire children and adults alike to pick up a poem.
She has already jumped into multiple projects as poet laureate. She writes an interactive monthly column for the Mississippi Books page of the Clarion Ledger and Hattiesburg American Newspaper called “Poetry Break,” which discusses poetry and includes a writing prompt for readers. She also recently launched “The Mississippi Poetry Podcast,” highlighting Mississippi poets.
Dan Punday is the head of the MSU English Department and a fan of Pierce’s work. He said Pierce’s column fostered a multigenerational love of poetry among his wife and father-in-law.
“My wife reads ‘Poetry Break’ each month and has done some of the exercises, and has shared these with her dad, who has always been a bit baffled by poetry,” Punday said. “They’ve both found this writing to be remarkably enlightening.”
In today’s world, Pierce believes people need poetry now more than ever. She hopes to show communities how poetry is necessary to express life’s highs, lows and every feeling in-between.
“Poetry can make a genuine difference in people’s lives and be a source of comfort. It can be a way to amplify and galvanize voices and communities,” Pierce said. “It’s a way to anchor our own thoughts and take some time and space to sit with what we’re feeling and observing.
She recognizes that in modern times, people are defined by productivity levels and accomplishments. She views poetry as a method of clutching to the present and dwelling on a single moment.
“Poetry allows us to take some time and feel our connection to the world and smaller aspects of our lives in a way that is really emotionally satisfying,” Pierce said.