Call for nominations for North Carolina’s next poet laureate underway

From a press release:

RALEIGH, N.C. – Nominations for the state’s next poet laureate, the ambassador of North Carolina literature, will be accepted now through Oct. 14, online at www.NCDCR.gov/PoetLaureate. The timeline is short, so immediate attention to nominations is encouraged.

The post, created by the General Assembly in 1935, uses the office as a platform to promote North Carolina writers and the power of poetry and the written word. The 2014 poet laureate selection process will be led by N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz.

“This is an important position to our great state and I am committed to working with my department to find a poet laureate to represent North Carolina’s literary community,” says Kluttz. “North Carolina has a passion for poetry. I look forward to working with the experts in my department to assist Governor McCrory in identifying the next poet laureate.”

Secretary Kluttz has expanded the poet laureate process to include the N.C. Arts Council, the Office of Archives and History and the State Library – the three areas that make up the Department of Cultural Resources. Local and university libraries are easily-accessible locations for those without computers to make their nominations online.

“I am extremely excited that our Secretary, Susan Kluttz, will be leading the process to choose a new poet laureate for North Carolina,” says Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the N.C. Arts Council. “The fact that she has made the poet laureate a department-wide priority speaks to her support for the arts and of poetry in particular.”

While each N.C. poet laureate leaves his or her own personal imprint on the program, duties typically include public activities with schools, community groups and the press, and contact with writers and readers by mail, email and/or through a website. Former Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti distinguished his term working with veterans to share their stories of military service – including combat – through poetry.

The selection criteria for the poet laureate position include:

A North Carolina resident with deep connections to the cultural life of this state

Literary excellence of the writer’s work

Influence on other writers and appreciation of literature in its diversity throughout the state

Ability and willingness to conduct the public engagement duties of the office

Statewide, national or international reputation

“North Carolina is known for its excellence in the arts. Our writers, poets, artists and musicians add to our enjoyment and quality of life while also supporting tourism and economic development in our great state,” adds Kluttz. “Governor Pat McCrory will announce his choice for the new poet laureate the first week of December and the induction ceremony will occur soon after the first of the New Year.”

Nominations for the position will be accepted online through Oct. 14 at www.NCDCR.gov/PoetLaureate. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR’s mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state’s history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state’s communities. NCDCR’s Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina’s rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR’s State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for people who are blind and have physical disabilities.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state’s creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.