Greenburgh Appoints Its First Youth Poet Laureate

The Town of Greenburgh’s Arts and Culture Committee announced the appointment of 16-year-old Asa Miller of Hartsdale to a two-year, non-paying position as Greenburgh’s first Youth Poet Laureate. His term of office will run from September 2023 until September 2025. His official induction will take place at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, September 13 at Greenburgh Town Hall at the Greenburgh Town Board Meeting. Poets and poetry lovers are invited to attend.

In this distinguished position, Miller will develop opportunities for young people in Greenburgh to undertake the creation of original poetry and share that work in a variety of ways. “My mission is clear: to get our diverse community of Greenburgh teens excited about poetry,” says Miller.

Asa Miller is a junior at Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School, where he is an honors student. His love for poetry began at eight years old, when his poem “Fishkill Farms” won his entire class an all-expense paid trip to Fishkill Farms for apple picking and donuts. He has been writing and getting his poetry and short stories published ever since. He was recently selected as one of several 10^th graders to attend the 2023 Young Authors Conference for Westchester and Putnam Counties.

“Poetry helps me to share my passion for science, music, and even sports,” says Miller. His account of a lacrosse tournament, for example, was just published in USA Lacrosse Magazine. Miller plays lacrosse for Edgemont’s varsity team, True Lacrosse Westchester, and Israel’s national U18 team.

In addition, Greenburgh’s new Youth Poet Laureate is an award-winning classical pianist who has performed at venues around the world. His short documentary about helping to restore coral reefs in Cuba has screened at dozens of international film festivals. An experienced scuba diver, Miller also co-founded Edgemont’s marine biology club.