LANSING, MI – The Lansing Poetry Club, the RCAH Center for Poetry at Michigan State University and Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) are seeking a Poet Laureate to engage the tri-county community in the literary arts.
Applications for the Lansing Poet Laureate are now being accepted until5 p.m. on March 3, 2017. The intent of the program is to promote poetry as an art form, expand access to the literary arts, connect the community to poetry, and showcase poetry as a literary voice that contributes to a greater sense of place.
The appointment of the Lansing Poet Laureate will be the first of its kind for the Greater Lansing region. Stimulating the transformative impact of poetry, this appointment will create excitement about the written and spoken word. The Lansing Poet Laureate will serve as an ambassador for poetry within the community for a 2-year appointment, and will receive a $2,000 per year stipend from LEAP. The appointed Poet Laureate will have the opportunity to shape the scope of work to reflect personal interests, skills and abilities.
“Poetry is one of the oldest and most powerful art forms,” said Ruelaine Stokes, president of the Lansing Poetry Club. “It helps us see the complexity and glory of human existence and transcend our day to day struggles. The Lansing Poetry Club is delighted to co-sponsor the new Lansing Poet Laureate, who will work to engage the community in creative approaches to the literary arts.”
With this appointment, the Lansing Poet Laureate will offer instructional workshops and readings with the public. Applicants must be an Ingham, Eaton, or Clinton County resident; must be at least 18 years old, and an experienced and skilled poet dedicated to producing poetry in textual and/or oral traditions. A workshop for assistance with the application process will take place on February 5, 2017 from 3-5 p.m. at MICA Gallery, 1210 Turner St., Lansing, MI 48906. Applications are available online.
“At every turn, our region needs to look and feel like an international, diverse, and sophisticated environment, so that our companies have a greater success rate with talent attraction,” said Bob Trezise, President and CEO of LEAP. “Every major city or state has a Poet Laureate, so will we too. This is just one more piece to the strategic placemaking efforts we are engaged in.”
This was printed in the January 22, 2017 – February 4, 2017 edition.
