10-31-2022 11:24pm

The Search Is On for Westwood's First Poet Laureate

Darlene Cancell Editor

Image by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels.

A group of interested Westwood community members are searching for the town’s very first Westwood Poet Laureate. They are putting out a call for applications to be submitted between December 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023. "The primary goal of the Westwood Poet Laureate is to promote public awareness of poetry in the town," states the description of the purpose and roles of the Poet Laureate. (See application instructions that are attached to this article, below)

Poet Laureate selection committee co-chair Maria Ryan is a member of the Westwood Library Board of Trustees and Westwood Cultural Council. She notes that the Westwood Poet Laureate selection committee is seeking someone who writes poetry and has a body of poetry. Both published and unpublished poets are welcome to apply.

Ms. Ryan describes the position as including the responsibility of writing poetry, holding events at the library, and mentoring a Westwood Teen Poet Laureate. The new, two-year position of Westwood Poet Laureate will be supported by a stipend of $500 from the Westwood Public Library’s 21st Century Fund.

Along with Ms. Ryan, other members of the selection committee include her committee Co-chair Kieran Moriarty from the Westwood High School English Department and committee members Nancy Donahue, Library Trustee; Anne Innis, Cultural Council Chair; Elizabeth McGovern, Westwood Library Director; Kristy McKenney of Westwood Youth and Family Services; and Karen Michelson, a resident with an interest in poetry. While Ms. McGovern is out on maternity leave, Acting Library Director Charlotte Canelli is filling her spot.

On Ms. Ryan’s own, personal interest in establishing the position of Westwood’s first Poet Laureate, she states, “I did a lot with literacy as a reading recovery teacher and specialist. I read all the time have read all through my life. It’s very exciting to me to think that we are opening hearts and minds to poetry, and letting people know it’s not something to be afraid of. It opens another avenue of literacy with the town.”

Ms. Ryan also notes that many towns around Westwood already have their own poet laureates. She believes that more people in Westwood are now interested in poetry and literacy in general than they were before.

The selection of Westwood’s first Poet Laureate is expected to be announced in February 2023, says Ms. Ryan. One of the Poet Laureate’s first tasks will be reaching out to teenagers aged 14-18 to encourage them to apply for the position of Westwood Teen Poet Laureate.

Applications for the one-year position of Teen Poet Laureate will be accepted in April 2023, which is National Poetry Month. The selection of the Teen Poet Laureate will be made in May 2023.

Thanks to Maria Ryan for sharing this news with Westwood Minute.