Norwalk Names Second Poet Laureate

NORWALK, CT - From City of Norwalk: On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at Norwalk’s sixth annual LitCrawl, Mayor Harry Rilling announced that William (Bill) P. Hayden has been selected as Norwalk’s second Poet Laureate. Hayden is succeeding Laurel Peterson, Norwalk’s first Poet Laureate, who held the position for three years.

“I am deeply committed to the arts. More than three years ago, in partnership with the Library, I
worked to bring our first poet laureate, Laurel Peterson, to Norwalk. She has been fantastic and I
appreciate all she has done in the community,” said Mayor Rilling. “The Poet Laureate is an
important role, and I look forward to working more closely with Bill. I know he is excited to promote and expand access to poetry and arts in Norwalk. I wish him luck and know he will do great.”

Hayden expressed his excitement at being named Norwalk Poet Laureate and pledged to follow
Peterson’s goals of connecting poetry with visual arts, dance, and music. In carrying out the
objectives of the program, Hayden believes that all art forms are related and will seek additional
ways to combine other art forms with the written and spoken word.

“I hope to bring poetry to the community by organizing writing, reading, and performing workshops for children, teens and young adults, and recruiting volunteer teachers and workshop leaders from among my fellow poets,” Hayden said. “I will seek the support of our local educators in identifying young people who have an interest in pursuing the literary arts beyond the classroom.”

Hayden hopes to accomplish his goals by organizing field trips to hear spoken word performances at nearby colleges and festivals, presenting open mic opportunities for youth to share their work with a broader audience, and coaching young people in effectively reading works aloud.

No stranger to the world of poetry readings and art performance, Hayden and his wife Brandi have
run the Good Folk Coffeehouse at the Rowayton United Methodist Church for the past twenty-seven years, presenting live music and poetry to the community. He has been a regular at Curley’s Poets in Stamford, the Poetry Salon at the Fairfield public library, and Monday Expressions East at the Never Ending Bookstore in New Haven. His published poetry has appeared in Oysterville (Woodhall Press, 2018), the digital recording and chapbook organized by Peterson, Anthology of Norwalk Poets Tuesday Night Live (Turn of River Press, 2018) and “Anthology of Curley’s Poets,” The Little Apple Literary Magazine (1970s).

Hayden’s first foray into writing poetry came as a high school lifeguard, with time on his hands. Now as a retiree with the luxury of time, he has kicked his poetry pursuits into high-gear. Hayden believes “in the healing and transforming power of creating works of art, whether with words as poetry or prose, or with visual arts or with music. All art forms have the power to work changes in perception and understanding in both creator and audience. In some ways, artists have a responsibility to use their gifts for the highest good, including their own growth as well as promoting the healthy evolution of humans as a universal whole.”