City of Sedona & Community Library Sedona Poet Laureate Program
The city of Sedona in collaboration with the Community Library Sedona seek poet applicants for Sedona’s first Inaugural Poet Laureate Program. One senior and one junior poet will serve as ambassadors for a two-year term to elevate education in literature by promoting an appreciation of poetry in the community, and to inspire an emerging generation of literary artists and readers within our local schools.
This announcement reflects City Council’s desire to continue to support and expand arts and culture programming within the city.
Both poet laureates are expected to perform the following duties throughout their appointment:
- Give up to four public readings per year.
- Compose poems for community events and ceremonial occasions as requested.
- Provide poetry workshops to area schools.
- Pursue a major literary project with an emphasis on outreach and education, in addition to community outreach projects as requested.
- Collaborate with other poet laureate programs in Arizona.
The Senior Poet Laureate will receive a stipend of $2,000 for their two-year term and the Junior Poet Laureate will receive a scholarship to further their education. Both poets will receive per-diem costs for school outreach and workshops.
The selection process
The process will begin with a work group reviewing all applications and selecting up to five finalists. This group consists of the city of Sedona Arts and Culture Specialist Nancy Lattanzi, Executive Director Judy Poe of the Community Library Sedona and several local literary colleagues, including Rex Arrasmith, a widely published poet who spearheaded this initiative, Christopher Fox Graham, a poet who has been running the Sedona Poetry Slam for 16 years, Sedona Red Rock High School English teacher Jill Swaninger and Sedona Financial Services Director Barbara Whitehorn, whose father was apoet.
The finalists will perform and be scored at four different consecutive events, including the Moment of Art at the City Council meeting on April 8, 2025; Mary D. Fisher Theater on April 12; the Community Library Sedona on April 16; and Tlaquepaque in late April. The two highest ranking applicants will be notified and appointed by the City Council at an upcoming City Council meeting in May.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this appointment, all applicants will undergo a background check and must:
- Reside within the Sedona-Oak Creek School District boundaries for at least one year from the application date and must reside there for at least six months of the year. If applicants for the Senior Poet Laureate live outside the boundaries, they should demonstrate a strong connection to Sedona.
- Be a poet in the literary arts in the community or beyond.
- Be willing to make presentations throughout the Sedona area.
The Junior Poet Laureate must meet the above requirements, as well as be a current student or recent graduate from a Sedona or Verde Valley schools, be between 16 and 20 years of age and willing to work closely with the Senior Poet Laureate.
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| Sedona-Oak Creek School District boundaries |
How to apply
The deadline for nominations is March 19, 2025 by 5 p.m. To apply, send the following materials:
- Cover letter with name, address, phone, email and publication history.
- Statement describing why the nominee should be considered, why this appointment is important to the nominee, the nominee’s connection to Sedona and a brief proposal of planned initiatives and events designed to promote poetry within the community.
- Writing samples of the nominee’s work published or unpublished, not to exceed 10 pages.
- Nominee’s current resume or curriculum vitae.
Please mail or email nomination packets to:
Tasha Spuches, Assistant Director, Community Library Sedona3250 White Bear Road
Sedona, AZ 86336
TSpuches@communitylibrarysedona.org
More information
For more information on the Poet Laureate Program, contact city Arts and Culture Specialist Nancy Lattanzi at 928-203-5078 or NLattanzi@SedonaAZ.gov.
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