Claire Conroy – Beat Poet Laureate of Maine 2024-2026, Claire Conroy has self-published two books of poetry (“Listen” in 2018 and “Silent” in 2022) and a chapbook (“Rumors From Dead Lips” in 2024).  Born in Portsmouth, NH, she is a proud board member of the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program and is the host of their open mic, The HOOT.  She has been published in over 20 anthologies and has been translated into Hindi by Devesh Path Sariya. 

Claire’s passion, in addition to writing both beat style and format poetry is reading poetry.  With a deep appreciation for jazz poetry, she loves the opportunity to perform poetically with musicians.  She has also added the dance troupe “Sisters Phoenix” to her book launch performance for her second book, “Silent” in 2022.  She is happy to travel for poetry and does so as often as possible.  Claire was thrilled to be a featured reader at PoetFest in St Augustine, Florida in April of 2024.  Her ultimate honors so far have been to receive state Laureateship from the National and International Beat Poetry Foundation in August of 2024 and to perform with David Amram and his band at Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival in October of 2024.

Claire holds poetry workshops in Sanford, Maine where she lives.