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For some years I was advocating for a Somerville Poet Laureate. Finally, Harris Gardner, Greg Jenkins (Somerville Arts Council), and I came to an agreement at the Sherman Cafe in Union Square.  Soon, with the approval of Mayor Curtatone, a poet laureate committee was formed.

Somerville Poet Laureate Lloyd Schwartz

Presently, our chairwoman is Linda Haviland Conte. Also on board is Hillary Salick. We are pleased to have selected great poet laureates, including Nicole Terez Dutton, and Gloria Mindock. Now Lloyd Schwartz has brought this honor to Somerville, which will only enrich our arts community…

New York, NY (June 3, 2021)— The Academy of American Poets is pleased to announce its 2021 Poets Laureate Fellows. These 23 individuals serve as Poets Laureate of states and cities across the U.S. and will be leading public poetry programs in their respective communities in the year ahead.

The Fellows will each receive $50,000 (or $25,000 each in the case of the shared Poet Laureate position in Montana) for a combined total of $1.1 million. In addition, the Academy will provide $100,000+ total to 14 local 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that have agreed to support the Fellows’ proposed projects