Eloise Klein Healy has been named the first Poet Laureate of Los Angeles.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa created a selection committee and named Dana Gioia chairperson. The group also includes novelist Carolyn See and poets William Archila, Kate Gale, Douglas Kearney and Amy Uyematsu.

Here’s more from Jacket Copy: “The post, funded by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, is the brainchild of [Mayor Antonio] Villaraigosa. Most U.S. states have poet laureates, as do many cities, large and small, including Boston, Santa Fe, N.M.; San Francisco and Santa Barbara. Gioia said the committee began by brainstorming a wish list of 11 candidates they wanted to see in the mix. All but one of those poets were among the 40 people who were nominated or applied, he said.”