It’s rhyme time for those who know how to wax sublime with their wise and wild words on life in the suburbs.
To put it another way: the call for applications for the first poet laureate of St. Albert was announced yesterday. Edmonton and other cities have had their poets laureate, even youth poets laureate, for some years now. Now, it’s our turn.
Geoff Manderscheid, poet laureate committee chair, said that the position is long overdue but that it has been gestating since a welcome suggestion a few years ago. He was in conversation with Aimee Rheaume, who was then a youth slam poet at Bellerose High School trying to put her name forward with an application for the Edmonton youth poet laureate position.
Being from St. Albert meant she was precluded from the exclusive Edmonton-only post. It did give her a thought though.
“Aimee came back at me and said, ‘Hey, that’s something you should do. You should create that position.’ When I first started thinking about this, the youth community is there, for sure. She was right. That was something I could do,” Manderscheid said.
After further discussions with other staff members at the library, the idea took root. Eventually, they decided that they would start with a simple call for a poet laureate rather than focusing on a youth poet laureate.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if someone was 18 or 19 and they won it? They wouldn’t just be known as the youth poet laureate. They would be the poet laureate. We thought that was an exciting take on it. Really, any city adopts their own tradition and their idea of what a poet laureate is. Anyone who’s qualified for the job is going to be the right person whether they are 16 or 75. They’re going to bring their own fresh take and their ideas on how they want to spread their words.”
The Poet Laureate is often referred as ‘the people’s poet.’ It is to be an honorary position with a term of two years. During that time, the Laureate will be a cultural and literary ambassador who will champion poetry, language, and the arts, while also representing the city during readings at civic functions and public poetry events.
“Once named, the Poet Laureate will contribute to the overall well-being of the community through the composition and performance of original works that reflect and represent culture, ideas, and issues of importance to the people of St. Albert and abroad. Who knows what kind of dynamic events they’ll appear at in a community that is committed to the creation, delivery, and expression of culture?” Manderscheid said.
In an example of bitter poetic injustice, Rheaume is now a post-secondary student in Calgary, which makes her once again ineligible to apply. Still, she is very excited for what this means for many of her slam poetry kin still living in St. Albert.
She said that poetry has been empowering to her both artistically and spiritually, and that it can be a form of powerful public service.
“Our words have power. Those words are often very political, very blunt, very to the point, and if we create a dialogue for deep issues through a comfortable art form, it can be so life-changing to so many people.”
The St. Albert Poet Laureate position comes with an annual honorarium of $1,000.
Nominations are open to residents ages 16 and up. Applications will close on Monday, Feb. 12. The inaugural Poet Laureate will be named on April 20 during the Teen Poetry Slam, perhaps the city’s biggest event in celebration of National Poetry Month.
Visit www.sapl.ca for more information.
