Listen to this note:
The San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture has extended the deadline to apply to become the County's Poet Laureate until January 22, 2025.
The Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador and advocate for poetry, literature and the arts throughout San Mateo County for a two-year term.
“Poets express our feelings with words and help give meaning to our emotions,” said David J. Canepa, chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “We encourage both newer poets with fresh ideas and established poets with their own unique voices to apply.”
The position of County Poet Laureate represents an opportunity to champion the power of poetry to diverse audiences throughout San Mateo County.
The position receives an annual stipend of $5,000, with up to $2,000 available over the two-year period to support programming.
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be 18 years of age or older; be available to serve a term from spring 2025 through December 2027; have lived in San Mateo County for at least three years; and have published one or more collections of poetry or self-published works that have appeared in print or online or have a substantial record of public spoken word performances.
Additional eligibility requirements, along with duties and links to biographies of previous poet laureates, can be found on the Poet Laureate's website. Office of Arts and Culture.
The deadline for receiving the application package and supporting documents is January 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Once the application period has closed, a selection committee, comprised of past poet laureates and others, will schedule interviews. The Office of Arts and Culture will then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, which will make the official appointment.
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