Spokane's third poet laureate has yet to be named, and Spokane Arts needs your help — before the end of this month — to do so.
The two-year appointment of the city's official poetry position is much more than a title. Poet laureates are tasked with promoting and supporting an appreciation of literary arts in the greater Spokane area through events, workshops and other programming. Here are some more specifics on the position's responsibilities, directly from Spokane Arts' poet laureate application form:
"As both a local resident and a distinguished poet, the Poet Laureate will represent and celebrate the rich literary history and the diversity of Eastern Washington. As a spokesperson for the area’s literary community, the Poet Laureate will help reinforce the role of literature in civic life and will actively participate in ceremonial, educational and cultural activities in the community during the term of service. The Poet Laureate program is administered by Spokane Arts. Interested poets must submit their own application; there is no nomination process."
\Note that last bit: "Interested poets must submit their own application." So, everyone reading this post, if you know a locally based, profound penner of poetry, encourage them to fill out the application, like ASAP! The deadline to apply is Saturday, Sept. 30.
Current Spokane poet laureate Laura Read (click the link to see her contributions to the Inlander's 2016 Poetry Issue) passes the torch to her predecessor during the Spokane Arts Awards on Nov. 4, an event that serves as the culmination of Create Spokane Arts Month in October. Read has served as Spokane's poet laureate since October 2015; the next person to hold the position will serve until the city's fourth poet laureate is appointed in the fall of 2019.
Spokane's first poet laureate, who helped usher in the literary program, was award-winning local writer and Whitworth University professor Thom Caraway.
