Page 32 - North Haven Magazine Issue 39 Summer 2025

Skating out after Gavin's name is
Meet
Meet
announced to start the game.

Gavin
Gavin

Knauft
Knauft

North Haven’s

Youth Poet Laureate by Jill DeChello

Tell me what a Poet Laureate is?
A Youth Poet Laureate is more than a teen who writes poems. To me, it is a young voice that is dedicated to pro-
moting expression and making a space for creativity everywhere, for everyone. This role means showing people
that poetry is not something that is locked in an old book or trapped in a classroom. I feel as though it is my job to
exhibit that poetry is something that’s alive and something that belongs in our lives alongside music, sports, and
everything else that makes us human.

Do all towns have them? What made you enter
I believe certain towns have youth poet laureates, but (is that the right word)?
not all. As I mentioned, I started writing poetry in the summer
going into 11th grade. During this time, I had recently
How old are you? fractured a bone in my spine, which turned my summer
I am currently 17 years old, going into my senior year of upside down. As an active, teenage boy, summer is
high school. supposed to be full of adventure and being active.
However, with this injury, I couldn’t do anything active.
Have you always enjoyed writing? I wasn’t allowed to even stretch or walk my dog. This
Yes, for as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed injury hit me hard mentally, and I felt lost for a little bit.
writing. Writing has always been the purest form of I was feeling more than I ever had, and I wanted a way
expression for me. In my opinion, there is no better to express all of my emotions. One day, I decided to
feeling than creating a piece of writing that I am satisfied write down my thoughts. Little did I know, I was writing
with/proud of. It is a sensation that I learned to love at a poetry. I felt an instant connection to this form of writ-
young age and have continued to chase. ing. I found it fascinating how effective poetry was for
expression. From this, I came up with a challenge: write
Do you only write poetry or is there at least one poem every day. It was an amazing experi-
a book coming? ence that went on for a little over two months. Before I
It may come as a surprise to you that I have not been knew it, I had piles of poetry in my desk drawer.
writing poetry for a long time. In seventh grade, I fell in
love with creative writing, specifically screenplay writing. I understand you are also
For a long time, I was in a screenwriting phase, as I loved an athlete. What sport do you play?
film. After taking a creative writing course in 9th grade, I play hockey and lacrosse for North Haven High School.
I was introduced to other forms of writing, such as short Hockey is my main sport (and favorite). I have been
stories, ekphrasis, and poetry. It wasn’t until last sum- playing ever since I was little. Playing hockey at the high
mer that I started to write poetry. I fell in love with it school has been one of the most enriching experiences
instantly. Unfortunately, there is not a book in the works of my life. The competition, the brotherhood, the com-
right now. I hope to write one before I die. mitment. I love it all!

32 North Haven Magazine - Summer 2025