State Artist Jan Seale

Description

Jan Epton Seale, 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, is a native Texan. She is familiar with much of Texas, having lived in north and central Texas as a youth, with summers spent in the Panhandle, and living in South Texas all of her adult life. Seale received her education at Baylor University, the University of Louisville, and the University of North Texas. She has taught English and creative writing at three Texas universities. Her life’s work includes ten books of poetry, two of short fiction, three of nonfiction, and several children’s books and dramas. Apparent in her writing is her interest in the people and places of Texas, as well as those of the Southwest and the wider world. Her short stories have been described as a ‘capable evocation of peculiar personalities’ with a ‘sense of nostalgia and richly drawn places’‚ ‘all ending in epiphany.’ Her poems are said to be ‘both beautifully witty and serious.’ Seale is at home with many types of audiences. She particularly enjoys college groups, civic and writers’ organizations, nature lovers, elder learners, women, and church lay-groups. Comfortable on stage or in small gatherings, with sensitivity to and rapport with her audiences, her presentations are noted for their humor and accessibility. Seale is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, the Texas Folklore Society, and the Poetry Society of Texas.