Bobby LeFebre Shares Talent As State's Poet Laureate: 'Discuss Things That Matter'

DENVER (CBS4) - Bobby LeFebre is used to breaking down barriers, and now he's set to do the same all over Colorado as the state's Poet Laureate.

"I really want poetry to be the foot in the door, the entry point to larger conversations about communities. What matters to people in every corner of the state and how are they using art and culture to tell their stories," LeFebre said.

By day, he's a social worker, by night he's got his hand in poetry, acting, or writing. His work and his art are often blended together. His play Northside just announced another extension with more shows in September.

"This play is the story of so many people in this city. It's the story of a young professional Latinx couple who is struggling to buy a home in the neighborhood they've lived in their entire lives," LeFebre said. "My family has lived in the Northside since the 1960s. This is a very personal story because so many people I know, so many people in the neighborhood, are experiencing this process and I wanted to talk about it though art."

Pushing boundaries is normal for LeFebre. His TedXMileHIgh performance has been viewed thousands of times and is used by social workers around the world.

"Good art makes you think. Good art makes you engage in dialogue and it is not easy. It shouldn't be easy," he said. "I'm unapologetically someone who is dedicated to using art as a form of social justice. I believe in using my talent and this platform to discuss things that matter."

He plans to use that same approach as Poet Laureate. Since Gov. Jared Polis announced LeFebre, he has been inundated with requests from around the state.

"I have receipts for all the time and energy I've spent developing myself as an artist, giving back to community, sharing in community.  It sure does feel nice when you're getting that recognition," he said.