APPLETON (NBC 26) — Calling all wordsmiths! The City of Appleton is seeking someone to unite the community through poetry.
- The City of Appleton is taking applications for its first-ever poet laureate
- The two-year position includes honorariums from the city
- The Appleton Poet Laureate will write and perform two original poems and hold at least three workshops
- The deadline to apply is June 30
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)
The City of Appleton is partnering with the Appleton Public Library to launch the poet laureate program.
The Mayor's Office says the Appleton Poet Laureate will write at least two original poems and perform them at city events. They will also hold at least three workshops each year promoting poetry as an art form.
It's a program that Appleton Public Library Adult Services & Engagement Librarian Peter Kotarba says was a long time coming.
"Who came up with this idea? Was it you? Were you sitting one day and snap or what happened?" I asked Kotarba.
"The poetry community in Appleton has been calling for this position," he replied, praising Appleton's literary culture. "This is the first year the city has had an opening for this position and has agreed to have this position. So there already is the culture of poetry in the area and adding the city poet laureate is the next step to that."
The Appleton Poet Laureate will serve from September 2024 to September 2026, receiving honorariums from the city.
Applicants must be at least 18 and an Appleton resident.
"I think that this position is going to go bonkers," says Appleton Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator Timber Smith, adding that the program is a symbol of what Appleton represents.
"We have a very diverse community. We care about the arts in Appleton. This is just another expression of that."
The application deadline for the position is June 30. You can learn more and apply here.
