The legislature 's bill was signed into law by Governor Christine Todd Whitman . It was expected that the award 's recipient — the poet laureate — would " engage in activities to promote and encourage poetry within the State and shall give no fewer than two public readings within the State each year . " In this respect , New Jersey 's poet laureate was similar to the position of Poet laureate in other American states and in several other countries . However , a public reading in September 2002 by the state 's second laureate , Newark-based poet Amiri Baraka , of his poem " Somebody Blew Up America " was met with harsh criticism by the public and news media . The poem , which explores the terrorist attacks on September 11 , 2001 , was criticized by many as violent , incendiary , and anti-Semitic , and the ensuing controversy ignited a political firestorm . Because of Baraka 's defiant refusals to apologize or resign as poet laureate and since there was no mechanism in the law to remove him , the position was abolished by the legislature and Governor James E. McGreevey in 2003
the terrorist attacks on September 11 , 2001
September 11 attacks
Poet Laureate of New Jersey