Jay Bryan is a native of New York State who moved to North Carolina to work at what is now known as Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy. He attended North Carolina Central Law School, married, and established a law practice as a licensed N.C. attorney.

He and his first wife renovated a 1908 home on Oak Avenue, Carrboro, and started the Friends of Old Carrboro, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Carrboro’s mill houses and history.

He served for many years as a North Carolina District Court Judge, and is now in private practice as a mediator and coach. He served on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen from 1987 to 1997.

In 2001, Jay was instrumental in establishing the position of the Carrboro Poet Laureate. Carrboro was the first town in the state to have such a position, creating a precedent that many other towns and cities have since followed. Jay served as the town’s sixth Poet Laureate and spearheaded the formation of the Carrboro Poets Council. He also helped establish Carrboro Day to celebrate Carrboro’s citizens and their history, music, poetry, storytelling, and fine arts.

Jay’s collection Haiku for Carroll was written during his first wife’s terminal illness. His Selected Poems was published in 2013 by Finishing Line Press. Jay also edited the Carrboro’s 100th Birthday Poetry Anthology, of poems written by local poets and read on Carrboro Day.

Jay lives in Carrboro with his second wife and their three dogs, Praline, Piper, and Jolly. They have five children and nine grandchildren.