Bethel Seeks Its Next Poet Laureate

The Town of Bethel is beginning the search for its second Honorary Poet Laureate. The appointee will be responsible for expanding the community’s knowledge of and exposure to poetry and for composing poems for special events and occasions when requested. During her tenure as Bethel's first Poet Laureate, among other activities, Cortney Davis distributed more than 200 poetry books throughout the town: in waiting rooms, as giveaways at Byrd's Books, and as "finders keepers" - volumes hidden in grocery stores, pharmacies, laundromats, restaurants and other venues. For samples of her poetry see http://www.cortneydavis.com.

Candidates for second Poet Laureate, a three-year appointment, must submit 3 original poems and a resume of their publications. Entries will be reviewed by an independent committee; three finalists will be selected and interviewed. The poet chosen as laureate will be appointed by the Board of Selectman.

Candidates are asked to email cortneydav@yahoo.com with their name, address, phone number, and 3 works of poetry. The email’s subject line should be “NEXT POET LAUREATE”. All styles are welcome, but poems should be appropriate for a live reading.

Judges will base their decisions of the written work on poetic understanding, concept, and style. After passing the first round of written submissions, the three finalists will be evaluated on their verbal presentation and stage presence, as well as what they would hope to achieve as laureate.

The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18. Applicants must be residents of Bethel. Deadline for submissions: December 31, 2021

Rules:

1. All entries are judged anonymously. The poet’s name must not appear on, or in, the poem itself.

2. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length (excluding title). Entries can be on any subject

3. Poems must b e the original work of the entrant.

4. Handwritten entries cannot be accepted. Posted entries should be typed and emailed to the above email address as Word files or PDFs.

5. Entries must be written in English.