Who Will Be the Poet Laureate of Los Angeles?

Published Aug 23, 2012 11:00 PM

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Do you have a way with words? Know someone who does? Perhaps the soon-to-be-open position of Poet Laureate of Los Angeles is of interest.

That's right: L.A. is about to put a face and name--for a two year term--on the literary voice of the city.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the creation of the official city of L.A. poet laureate program, reports L.A. Observed, who share the full press release on the subject.

Here's what the gig entails:

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The City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate will serve as the official ambassador of Los Angeles’ vibrant poetry and literary culture. The Poet Laureate will use the position as a platform to promote the City’s greatest writers and the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word throughout all parts of the community.

And a bit more:

Over the course of the appointment, the City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate will provide at least four public readings and four school visits annually. The readings will consist of either original works created for the events, past work appropriate to the occasion and to the audience, or historic works by past Los Angeles poets in locations across the city. The appointed Laureate will educate Los Angeles residents, visitors, civic and elected leaders, young people, adults, seniors, and students of all ages about the value of poetry and creative expression through self-coordinated or community-partnered events and activities that are reviewed and approved by DCA, and write one or more commemorative poem(s) about Los Angeles.

The post comes with a $10,000 per year grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, and is open to all nominations. In fact, Villaraigosa says they are encouraging self-nominations.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. October 10, and all submissions will be reviewed by a specially-assembled task force of prominent scholars and scribes, who will make the final selection. The Poet Laureate Announcement will be made in October, and the first term will be from November 2012 to October 2014 and receive a $10,000 annual grant from DCA. All the info about the Poet Laureate program is on the DCA's site.

Anyone care to share their ideas for who should be the Poet Laureate of L.A.?