Item 06 - Austin Poet Laureate presentation.pdf — original pdf

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Austin Poet Laureate Program Position Background • Austin Public Library (APL) launched the Austin Poet Laureate program in October 2024 and will name the first Austin Poet Laureate in April 2025. The appointed Austin Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term, 2025 – 2027. • The inaugural Austin Poet Laureate will be an official ambassador of the City’s literary arts, connecting our community through the art of poetry. Poet Laureate Committee Members Poet Laureate committee has combined knowledge of creative writing, public programs and City of Austin: • Sarah Renee Beach, Program Director of Writers’ League of Texas and poet • KB Brookins, Austin author and poet • Maria-Elena Cigarroa, APL Adult Services Librarian • Marianne DeLeon, CEO of Texas Book Festival • Patti Fowler, Chair (former) and APL Interim Assistant Director • Kezia Frayjo, Library Commission • Mike Henry, Austin poet and consultant • Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Director of City of Austin Economic Development Department • Bret Johnston, Director of the Michener Center for Writers and author • Katherine Lamb, Programs Manager at The Library Foundation • Becka Oliver, Executive Director of Writers’ League of Texas • Leah Oswald, APL Adult Services Librarian • Jacqueline Rangel, The Library Foundation board and creator of Read Write Austin • Allison Steger, Chair (current) and Interim APL Division Manager • Celina Zisman, Austin Arts Commission The goal of the Poet Laureate program is to:  Promote poetry, literacy, and the literary arts in the Austin community; Program Goals to the wider community;  Build awareness and appreciation of poetry and make it accessible  Celebrate poetry and the power of the written and spoken word while honoring the cultural diversity of our community;  Advance poetry as a means of understanding and communicating Austin history and culture; Program Goals The goal of the Poet Laureate program is to:  Establish an ambassador to advance APL’s mission to discover, learn, and create through poetry;  Enable the Poet Laureate to serve as a mentor to poets in the community; and  Create a vibrant platform for local poets to engage diverse voices and inspire literacy engagement through creative expression. Review Process  A newly appointed Poet Laureate committee will select the Poet Laureate through an open-call process after reviewing all applications.  A public call for applications will be launched on October 1, 2024. Applications will be received through November 30, 2024.  The Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term, beginning in April of 2025.  APL staff will be coordinating the selection process. Timeline Guidelines/applications available October 1, 2024 Application deadline November 30, 2024 Committee reviews submissions December 2024– January 2025 Notification to all finalists February 2025 Interviews Committee recommends new Poet Laureate; prepare for ceremony Poet Laureate investiture ceremony Year 1 Year 2 February 2025 March 2025 April 2025 April 2025-2026 April 2026-2027 Eligibility Criteria To be eligible, the applicant must:  Be at least 21 years old;  Have lived or worked in the City of Austin for three years and continue to live or work in the city throughout the appointment. Valid addresses are based on the applicant’s physical residence or employment place, not on a PO Box or other property owned by the applicant. Proof of address is required;  Have at least 10 published works (print, online, poetry journals, magazines, websites, or video) and/or 10 public performances or a combination of the two; Eligibility Criteria To be eligible, the applicant must:  Have a strong interest in serving the city, conducting community outreach, and promoting poetry;  Have public speaking or performance experience;  Be available to work at least 10 hours per week, including 5 hours per month at the Central Library; and  Be able to travel within library locations in the City of Austin. Application Requirements The applicant must:  Provide a brief biography (100-word limit);  Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (maximum of three pages) highlighting their publication and award history, experience in public speaking, teaching, and/or public performances, and community service or volunteer work;  Submit a statement (300-word limit) explaining why they should be selected to be the Austin Poet Laureate; Application Requirements The applicant must:  Provide a statement (500-word limit) outlining their ideas to enhance the literary arts within the community, specifically aiming to involve and represent diverse communities across the city; and  Provide a description (300-word limit) of: o How past projects have engaged culturally diverse audiences, and o How poetry amplifies the voices of these historically disenfranchised audiences  Include a writing sample consisting of 1 –3 poems (maximum of 10 pages) of selected poems or a spoken word video; applicants submitting written poems should also submit a video of the applicant reciting one poem. The Poet Laureate shall fulfill the following duties:  Lead 10 unique public readings and/or workshops per year, 5 in collaboration with Austin literary organizations and 5 at ACC and AISD schools with preference given to Title I schools; Responsibilities  Develop and execute a signature project or initiative in collaboration with the APL during the term;  Be available for board and commission meetings and public appearances with City of Austin departments/offices;  Collaborate with APL to develop one significant event at the Austin Central Library each year of the fellowship; Responsibilities The Poet Laureate shall fulfill the following duties:  Work at least 10 hours per week, including at least 5 hours per month at the Central Library;  Maintain the highest standards of character and professional integrity; and  Work collaboratively and respectfully, with Austin’s writing community and broader populace, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, youth, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. FAQs Review process: 1. What is the application timeline? A public call for applications will be launched on October 1, 2024. Applications will be received through November 30, 2024. 2. How long would I be expected to serve as the Poet Laureate? The appointed Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term, 2025 – 2027. The current Poet Laureate may be asked to hold the poet laureate title until a new laureate is chosen. FAQs Eligibility: 3. What documents are required to verify that I have lived or worked in the City of Austin for three years? Finalists invited to interview will be required to submit documentation proving they have lived or worked in the City for the past three years. Acceptable documentation includes lease or rental agreements, billing statements, employment records, tax documents, voter registration records, driver’s licenses, or other official documents showing your name and address. Please note that valid addresses must reflect your physical residence or place of employment, not a PO Box or any other property owned by you. 4. Will self-curated/self-published works be considered? Yes, collections or individual pieces that the applicant independently selects, compiles, and publishes without the involvement of traditional publishers or curators will be considered. However, they may be given less weight in the scoring process than traditionally published works. FAQs Eligibility: 5. What qualifies as a “public performance?” A "public performance" refers to any event where poetry is shared with an audience outside of a private or personal setting. This can include readings at literary festivals, school events, community gatherings, or any organized occasion where the poet presents their work to the public. 6. Will you consider a combination of published works and public performances? Yes. A combined total of 10 published works and public performances is acceptable. FAQs Application: 7. What are the video submission requirements? Please submit a link to your video. A high-quality video is not necessary; a video taken with a phone is perfectly fine. We are focusing on the poetry performance itself, not the video quality. 8. Can I submit works and performances in languages other than English? Yes. If you submit work in a language other than English, the original poetry and an English translation should also be submitted. Please note that the Poet Laureate position requires English proficiency. FAQs Responsibilities 9. What is an example of a signature project or initiative? The following websites provide a variety of signature project examples that raise appreciation of poetry: Academy of American Poets: 2020 Poet Laureate Fellows and their projects Houstonia: Aris Kian Is Rewriting the Rules as Houston Poet Laureate Library of Congress: Poet Laureate Projects Salary The Poet Laureate will receive an annual salary of $25,000 and will be allocated a $10,000 annual budget for program expenses.