Shaun Griffin may be one of Nevada’s greatest poets, but in his role as poet laureate, he is not often talking about his own poetry. Instead, he is using poetry to help incarcerated adults find their voice, their humanity and ultimately, their freedom.
In August, Griffin was named Nevada Poet Laureate for a second consecutive term. He has published seven volumes of his own poetry, including his 2024 book No Charity in the Wilderness. He was awarded the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award in 1998 and was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 2014.
While he keeps busy writing his own poetry, he has also been teaching creative writing in Nevada’s correctional and restitution facilities since 1989…