caption children birth_place awards birth_date spouse article_title name occupation alma_mater
official nc headshot 2 pittsburgh , pennsylvania north carolina poet laureate 20 july 1953 joan joseph bathanti
 joseph bathanti poet , novelist , professor university of pittsburgh , ba
joseph bathanti

joseph bathanti -lrb- born july 20 , 1953 , pittsburgh , pennsylvania -rrb- is an american poet , novelist and professor .
he was named by governor bev perdue as the seventh north carolina poet laureate , 2012 -- 2014 .
