Elizabeth Luoma, executive director of the Center for Teaching & Learning at Sacred Heart University, will be sharing her love of the written word as the new poet laureate for her hometown, North Haven. She began her two-year municipal position March 6.
Luoma earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, then went on to earn a certificate in college teaching preparation as well as a Master of Philosophy and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Yale University. In addition to teaching at SHU, she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Yale and Southern Connecticut State University.
While science and teaching are her obvious fortes, the arts have always been a part of Luoma’s makeup. She was quite young when she began experimenting with words and artistic expression. “Around mid-elementary school, playing with rhymes and alliteration became an outlet for me,” she said.
Music and lyrics, as well as a love for writing, inspired her and fed her passion for poetry. “I would get a new cassette or CD and immediately take out the lyrics and start analyzing them to see what they meant and how they related to my life,” she recalled.
Luoma finds poetry’s shorter form ideal for creating a written piece that can describe something that is fleeting. “There is so much meaning in poetry, and often that meaning is about capturing a moment in time,” she said. After writing a poem in the moment of inspiration, a writer might look back at it and feel differently, she added, and they might play with the words, the rhyme and the rhythm to create their final piece.
Luoma generally writes for herself or for loved ones. “People approach poetry in different ways,” she said. “For some, it’s a personal passion; for others, it’s a professional dedication. It was always more personal for me.”
Now Luoma will have a chance to add a public dimension to her craft. As North Haven’s poet laureate, she will promote the creation and enjoyment of poetry by developing programs for town residents. She also will write original poems for civic events and represent North Haven in the Connecticut Council of Poets Laureate, for which Sacred Heart’s other resident poet laureate, Rick Magee, serves as secretary.
Luoma sees her commitment to poetry over the next two years as a homecoming of sorts. Because her studies led her into a career in cell biology and STEM education, poetry became less of a focus. She is excited to see it reemerge as a part of her daily life.
The North Haven Memorial Library will host a reception April 1 at 6 p.m. to introduce Luoma to residents. All are welcome to attend and encouraged to bring their own poems to read. There will be snacks and drinks. The public can register for this event on the North Haven Memorial Library website.
Luoma wants to hear how the town’s residents already interact with poetry and find out what programs they would like offered to deepen their experiences. As an educator, she is excited to work with the library to create events for people of all ages to enjoy reading and writing poetry. North Haven residents are encouraged share their ideas for town poetry initiatives with Dr. Luoma at northhavenpoet@gmail.com. Photo: Presenting Luoma (right) with her award are North Haven Third Selectman Nancy Buemi and First Selectman Michael Freda.