Poet Laureate
About the Program
The Poet Laureate is an ambassador of poetry for the City of Grand Rapids, creating programs and projects to foster the writing and reading of poetry by the public. During the three-year term, the Poet Laureate engages the community through three distinct projects.
The Grand Rapids Poet Laureate has a love of and commitment to poetry. They are passionate about acting as an ambassador of poetry and have a strong desire to engage Grand Rapidians of all ages and from all walks of life in projects and programs.
Applications Open
The Grand Rapids Public Library is accepting applications from local poets interested in becoming the next Poet Laureate. Applications and nominations are accepted September 1 - October 15, 2023. The Poet Laureate will be selected in December 2023 by a panel of judges.
Criteria
Applicants must demonstrate a love of and commitment to poetry. The ideal candidate is passionate about acting as an ambassador of poetry and has a strong desire to engage Grand Rapidians of all ages and from all walks of life in projects and programs. Applicants must be 18 years of age and residents of Kent County.
Selection
The Poet Laureate selection committee will review all applicants and select a candidate in the fall and winter of 2024, with the term beginning in 2024.
To Nominate a Poet
The Poet Laureate Committee encourages nominations of poets that both fit the stated criteria and are committed to acting as an ambassador of poetry for our city. To nominate a local poet, submit a Letter of Support to poetlaureate@grpl.org, and the Poet Laureate Committee will reach out to that nominated poet directly.
To Apply
Submit the following information in PDF format to poetlaureate@grpl.org. Please use the following format to title your documents LastName-DocumentTitle.pdf
- Cover letter with contact information, including email, and phone number.
- Resume or CV that includes publication and/or performance credits.
- Ten pages of original poetry (published or unpublished) as a sample of work.
- Written statement (of no more than 500 words) detailing the types of projects you would like to accomplish, and how.
- Names and contact information of two or three individuals who can speak to how you would be successful in the role of Poet Laureate
- Applicants may submit links to online readings of their poetry (no more than ten minutes in total).
- Applications are due October 15, 2023
Past Poet Laureates
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- Ericka "Kyd Kane" Thompson
- Marcel “Fable” Price
- L.S. Klatt
- David Cope
- Rodney Torreson
- Patricia Clark
- Linda Nemec Foster
The Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids program is based at the Grand Rapids Public Library and supported with funds from The Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation, Dyer-Ives Poetry Fund.
