Dallas Public Library Searches for the Next Dallas Poet Laureate
DALLAS - Applications are open for local poets interested in being the next Dallas Poet Laureate.
Every two years, a poet is honored with the poet laureate title to recognize a career in writing exemplary poetry and sharing poetry with the greater community. The Dallas Poet Laureate is charged with engaging diverse voices, activating the community and broadening perspectives in shaping and furthering literary arts and culture through creative expression.
Interested poets must apply online by Dec. 15. The poet laureate will be appointed in April 2024. For complete guidelines and to apply, visit www.dallaslibrary.org/poetry
Zihuatanejo was named the first Dallas Poet Laureate in April 2022. In his first year, he has written and performed original poems for city events, led poetry workshops at schools, finished a collection of poems and held regular artist-in-residence office hours at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.
"Not so every once in a while, an opportunity is given to an artist that amplifies their own work and the genre they feel so passionately about," Zihuatanejo said. "This has been my experience serving as the inaugural Dallas Poet Laureate for the City of Dallas.
"One of my goals as the inaugural Dallas Poet Laureate was to lay the foundation for future Dallas Poet Laureates," he said. "To let the city, our city, know that we exist. To let organizations and schools in our city know that we can bring our talents to their businesses and campuses…I truly feel like I have succeeded in doing this."
The Dallas Poet Laureate'sdutiesinclude collecting literary works that commemorate Dallas; organizing literary workshops, classes and events at librariesand other sites; working with the Express Yourself! Youth Poetry Competition;and other efforts to excite discussion, exchange and participation in poetry, engaging readers in the culture of the written and spoken word in Dallas. In exchange, the Poet Laureate will receive a $20,000 honorarium, and Deep Vellum will publish a collection of their work.
Dallas Public Library, the Office of Arts & Culture and Deep Vellum launched the new poet laureate program in June 2021 torecognize exemplary poetry and the poet's role in sharing poetry with the greater community. The program is funded by the Friends of Dallas Public Library, Inc, the Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation, Office of Arts & Culture and Deep Vellum.
About DPL: Dallas Public Library operates the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library and 29 branch locations, serving nearly 8 million visitors each year. A library card is free for any Dallas resident. For information on the many free programs and services available at Dallas Public Library, visitwww.dallaslibrary.org.
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