The City of Cincinnati is looking for its next poet laureate and it has tapped downtown's Mercantile Library to help.
Applications are now open for the position, officially called the Cincinnati and Mercantile Library Poet Laureate Program.
“I love the expression that poetry is language under pressure. I am also aware that poetry has always been an inclusive art,” said John Faherty, executive director of the Mercantile Library, in a release. “It is an honor for the Mercantile Library, which has always celebrated language in all its forms, to be a part of this program. We are thrilled.”
The poet laureate will be picked by a 10-member advisory committee, the library and Cincinnati's mayor. Applications are due by Nov. 29, 2021, and must include the following, per the Mercantile: "a curriculum vitae or resume along with a typed, one-page vision statement defining what role they should play in the community. A sample of their work should also be included."
The poet laureate applicant should also provide examples of written work that "exemplifies the characteristics or Spirit of Cincinnati," per a release.
The term lasts two years and in addition to writing and reading poetry for/at special events, Cincinnati's poet laureate will also "promote poetry appreciation, encourage the reading and writing of poetry throughout the city...(and) be responsible for developing their plans for their term and reporting to the advisory committee regularly."
Applicants must be 18 or older. The winner will receive a stipend for their work.
The poet laureate program originated in 2015 and past honorees include Paulette Hansel and Manuel Iris — the current poet laureate, who held onto the position for an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information on the program, visit mercantilelibrary.com and apply at [email protected].
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