this literary man

Celebrated Houston professor named Texas' new Poet Laureate

University of Houston professor and 2026 Texas State Poet Laureate Kevin Prufer looks into the camera.

Prof. Kevin Prufer is the Texas State Poet Laureate for 2026.

Courtesy of the University of Houston

The Texas Legislature has named University of Houston professor Kevin Prufer as the 2026 Texas State Poet Laureate, one of the highest artistic honors in the Lone Star State.

“I am delighted and surprised to be appointed the Texas poet laureate,” Prufer said in a statement. “Nobody writes poetry for recognition, but it’s always nice when you realize all those nights spent writing upstairs in the dark had an impact on people. I’m glad for that, and for being able to contribute to the state’s rich artistic tradition.”

Prufer is one of the state's most celebrated poets. In 2023 he published The Fears, a harrowing collection of prose that tackled subjects like the death of his father, reframed in a poem by comparing the experience to classical Greek mythological poetry. He is known for his scatter-shot style of writing, wedding fragmented thoughts across the page in small bits of shrapnel that cut deep.

In addition, he published a novel, Sleepaway, in 2024. Prufer's contributions have earned him a place on the 2024 Rilke Prize shortlist, recognition as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize long-list, inclusion in the "New York Times Ten Best Poetry Books of the Year" list, as well as multiple selections for the "Best American Poetry" series, Pushcart prizes, and accolades from the Poetry Society of America.

“Kevin Prufer’s creative influence extends far beyond our Creative Writing classrooms – his appointment as Texas State Poet Laureate is certainly proof of that,” said Diane Z. Chase, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “All of us at the University of Houston are proud of his latest achievement. Professor Prufer inspires our students on campus, and we are thrilled that he will be able to inspire future poets across the state.”

The Texas State Poet Laureate position was created by the Texas Legislature in 1933. Several University of Houston faculty and alumni have held the position, including Vassar Miller in 1988, David M. Parsons in 1991, and Larry D. Thomas in 2008. Prufer will serve in the role until the end of the next legislative session.

A Roman Holiday (Season)

All roads lead to Houston museum's blockbuster exhibit of Imperial Rome

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

Houston's holiday season will have a distinctly Roman feeling this year, as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is bringing the glory of the Gladiator era to Texas. On November 2, 2025 through January 25, 2026 the MFAH presents the monumental new exhibition “Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times.”

Featuring 160 objects of antiquity, including marble sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, delicate glass vessels, and exquisite bronze artifacts, the exhibition will transport visitors back in time to the Roman Empire during a flowering of art and architecture. The MFAH partnered with the Saint Louis Art Museum to organize the exhibition, which will showcase many pieces that have never been on view in the U.S.

While Emperor Trajan might not be the most famous — or in some cases, most infamous — of the Roman emperors, he ruled between 98 and 117 C.E. during the empire’s height and was the second of the so-called “Five Good Emperors” of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. He was also the first emperor born outside of present-day Italy, in what is now Andalusia, Spain. During his reign, he granted citizenship and rights to some peoples from conquered lands. The exhibition will explore how this time period expanded what it meant to be a Roman and how art reflected Rome’s power and promoted the empire’s values and ideals.

$\u200bThe Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times"$

Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston presents "Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times" ("Statue of Trajan" Minturno, Italy, 2nd century, marble, National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

From statues of prominent men and women of the era, including Trajan, to vivid frescoes and furnishing from the villas of Pompeii, the objects in the exhibition will tell fascinating cultural and political stories of life in imperial Rome. To add context to the artworks and objects of antiquity, the MFAH will recreate a section of Trajan’s Column, which was a towering pillar with a spiraling narrative frieze, one of the few monumental sculptures to have survived the fall of Rome.

“Art and Life in Imperial Rome: Trajan and His Times” brings such a wealth of objects to Houston thanks to unprecedented loans from the renowned antiquities collections of Italian museums including Museo Nazionale Romano, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, the Parco Archeologico di Ostia, and the Musei Vaticani. It would would likely take months of travel across Italy to see this much art.

“This is truly a rare opportunity for U.S. audiences to experience spectacular objects from this glorious era of the Roman Empire,” said Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, in a statement. “We are enormously grateful to our colleagues in Rome, Naples, and Vatican City for lending these treasures to us and broadening the appreciation of Italy’s cultural heritage.”

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