Young, 65, is a two-time recipient of Pushcart Prize for poetry - a national small press award - and a winner of the PEN/Library of Congress Award for short fiction. He has also taught creative writing at Stanford, the University of California at Santa Cruz and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has also written film scripts for Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.

Schwarzenegger said in a statement that Young is someone "with a passion for the arts" who will inspire Californians.

A native of Mississippi, Young has lived most of his adult life in the San Francisco Bay area and received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

The legislation that created the position in 2001 requires confirmation of the appointment by the state Senate and pays a $10,000 stipend over a two-year term.