Care to try your hand at being Somerville’s first ever Poet Laureate? Now is the time to take the plunge.

By Tom Bannister

The City of Somerville has announced that it will be creating the position of Poet Laureate for the City of Somerville. Candidates for the lofty appointment are being sought now.

Viewed as a means to advance the appreciation of poetry and poets in the city and elsewhere, the Poet Laureate will be charged with bringing poetry to parts of Somerville that may be in need of more familiarity with poetry such as youth, senior citizens, communities and schools.

According to the expectations outlined by the city, the Poet Laureate will be a person of vision with the ability to enact his/her vision.

The city expects the Poet Laureate to serve a term of two-years for which an honorarium of $2,000 per year will be awarded.

A jointly defined contract specifying expectations of the public benefit required of the position will be worked out by the review committee and final applicant.

The city has said it is expected that the primary objective of the Poet Laureate will support and expand poetry in the city. The Somerville Arts Council and the City of Somerville will support the Laureate in networking within the community but the chosen candidate must do the actual work involved.

Those choosing to apply for the position must submit the following items no later than November 17, 2014: A one page contact info sheet with name, address, phone number, email, website (if applicable); proof of residence demonstrated by sending a copy of a utility bill, lease, phone bill (a jpg image of a current bill or statement is fine if emailing application, or a photocopy of statement if mailing application); curriculum vitae/poetry-related bio; up to 20 pages of original poetry; a one to three-page vision statement with details as to how you will implement the public benefit component.

Either email PDFs of the above items to Gregory Jenkins at gjenkins@somervillema.gov with Poet Laureate in the subject header or mail the following documents to Somerville Poet Laureate, Somerville Arts Council, 50 Evergreen Ave., Somerville, MA 02145. Mailed-in submissions must be postmarked by the submission deadline of November 17, 2014.

A committee of local poets, teachers, and arts administrators, will review the applications and select at least three but no more than six applications to be finalists. The finalists will be interviewed in December with the expectation that they will further define their qualifications for the position.

The interview process will also allow the selection committee to ask more of the candidate. The committee will select a final candidate and an alternate who will be presented to Mayor Curtatone for his approval.

According to the city, the Poet Laureate will be reviewed and chosen on the basis of the four criteria: Excellence in craftsmanship, as demonstrated by submitted original poems (25%); providing a vision for the position (25%); professional achievement in the field of poetry. Merit shall be proven by publication credits either in small press or large press publications; at least one collection, full size or chapbook published by a small press or large press; also, awards or recognition such as grants, fellowships, prizes, and/or other recognition. (25%); A history of actively promulgating the visibility of poetry in Somerville’s neighborhoods and literary communities through readings, publications, promotion of events, public presentations and/or workshops and other types of teaching and literary community involvement (25%).

The final appointment is expected to be made in early 2015.