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When California?s Poet Laureate Al Young says he is the right person for the job, there is not the slightest hint of braggadocio in the remark.

Articulate and unafraid to speak his mind, the state?s most visible poet believes the poet laureate position gives him license to be that thorn in the side of those who dismiss art and culture as not important.

?I can say certain things and no one will get upset. They will say, ?oh, he?s a poet,? ? Young said during a recent telephone interview.

Area residents will be able to hear Young speak his mind at John F. Kennedy Library on Friday, April 21. The event is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is free and open to the public.

It has been nearly a year since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed the 66-year-old Young to the two-year poet laureate position. Young, a Berkeley resident, has thoroughly enjoyed bringing poetry and literature into the lives of so many people throughout the state.

Indeed, Young?s hectic schedule as poet laureate has included readings at high schools, colleges and universities, conferences, cafes, museums, libraries and juvenile detention center.

?This is my way of giving back to a state that has given me so much,? said Young, who was born in Ocean Springs, Mississippi but moved to California in the 1950s..

The two-year poet laureate position, which pays only $10,000 for the entire term, was established in 2001 by the passage of Assembly bill AB 113. The poet laureate?s role is to spread the art of poetry and encourage literacy and learning in the state.

Young, a noted educator, jazz musician and award-winning author, is heartened by what he sees as a growing enthusiasm for poets, poetry and the written word.

?Poetry is so popular now,? said Young in his rich, baritone voice. Young believes people all over the world are being drawn to the medium ?because it is one of the last unmediated forms of expression that we have. You can present poetry right from your heart.?

With poetry as a tangible vehicle for expression, young people are revealing their inner most feelings about an ever-changing world. ?They are the ones who are getting the short end of things. They were born into debt, tremendous debt, paying for wars and irresponsible behavior bequeathed them by adults. It?s criminal,? Young said.

Such deeply felt convictions made Young believe he would not be chosen for the poet laureate position during the selection process last year.

Following an intense interview with the governor, Young felt Schwarzenegger ?would not go with the uncomfortable choice.?

During the interview, Young was forthcoming with the governor about his politics. ?I said I was political and that I planned to be even more political if I was selected because these are very dark times.? Within weeks of the interview, Young was selected.

In announcing his selection, Schwarzenegger said Young?s ?remarkable talent and sense of mission to bring poetry into the lives of Californians is an inspiration.?

Young is clear about his mission and openly critical of many of Schwarzenegger?s actions. ?One of the first things he did after his election was cut the California Arts Council?s budget by 96 percent,? Young explained.

While he personally likes the governor, Young is sometimes mystified by the man he calls ?enigmatic.?

?He champions causes that you don?t expect, like alternative sources of energy, but then he drives Humvees.?

Young is equally troubled by many of the state?s political powers who pay lip service to supporting education but fail time and again to fund the arts.

?We don?t value the arts,? said Young. ?No one is remembered for their armies, military or money. Great civilizations are remembered for their music, drama, films and other culture.?

For more information about Young?s appearance, please call the John F. Kennedy Library at (707) 553-5568.

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