“I’m honored and humbled to receive such a prestigious award,” Moore said.

He along with Alan Shapiro, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will receive the award in the category of literature. Four additional winners in the areas of public service, science and fine arts will also receive awards during the gala.

Moore, a U.S. Army veteran, finished his master’s in English, African American literature at N.C. A&T in 1997 and has since gone on to become the founder and executive director of the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective as well as the co-founder of the Washington Street Writers Group.

His writing has appeared in more than 400 publications and his poetry has been translated into several languages and featured in more than 100 anthologies.

“I’ve been writing for decades. I started in the early 1970s. Writing is a way of life for me,” he said.

Moore writes in more than 25 poetic forms including sonnets and free verse. According to his biography on the North Carolina Awards website, Moore is a master of the Japanese poetry form haiku. Traditionally a haiku is three lines totaling just 17 syllables. Moore’s prowess with the genre is so widely accepted that he because the first southerner and the first African American to be president of the Haiku Society of America. He has been winner of the Haiku Museum of Tokyo Award and served as executive chairman of the North Carolina Haiku society.

“I don’t get to write a lot during the school year but I do write as often as possible,” Moore said.

Moore’s wife, M. Lynne Moore and his deceased daughter, Maiisha L. Moore, are also published poets. And, he and his wife also share a love of teaching. She retired as a public school teacher in 2012, while he continues his career in education as an associate professor of English at the University of Mt. Olive in Mt. Olive, N.C.

“I teach advance poetry writing, African American literature and public speaking,” he said. “I’m hoping that I’m able to spark greater interest in poetry and enhance their curiosity about literature.”

This month, the University of Mt. Olive is exhibiting all of the books written, edited and co-edited by Moore in Moye Library on campus. It will culminate with a reception in his honor at 2 p.m., Nov. 18, where he will also read some of his poetry.

The North Carolina Awards are the highest civilian honor bestowed by the State of North Carolina. Since its beginning in 1961, there has been more than 250 men and women awarded. Past recipients include Dr. Maya Angelou, James Taylor, David Brinkley and Billy Graham.

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