dumbfoundry

Laurels in leaf (Toronto Star):

It's not the kind of job opening to precipitate a thousand-résumé flurry: Wanted: Poet Laureate. Extensive published work essential.

This fall, Canada's first parliamentary poet laureate, George Bowering, will relinquish his position to a new voice. And though qualified applicants may be few, it's curious to note that the position itself is becoming less so.

"Poet laureates have broken out like the plague, all over the place. There are provincial and state poet laureates, there are city poet laureates," says Dennis Lee, who, as poet laureate of Toronto, knows of what he speaks. "Probably individual washrooms have ... well, you get the idea," he laughed.

North Dakota's laureate (who has his position for life) has spawned seven laurel buds (Grand Forks Herald):

North Dakota Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode kicked off UND's Writers Conference on Tuesday with a surprise, naming seven associate laureates.

All the associates are natives and residents of the state, with two exceptions who happen to be enrolled tribal members living out of state.

And the former US poet laureate is now the NY State laureate (The Journal News):

In the same sprit, New York has named the 62-year-old Lehman College professor the new State Poet, an honorary post that Collins accepted earlier this month with his usual self-effacing wit. Next, Collins said, he'll be poet laureate of his own ZIP code.

Or as Dennis Lee said...

This entry was posted by eeksypeeksy on Thursday, March 25, 2004 at 9:06 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.