2023 U.P. Poet Laureate Application

The official application for the role of U.P. Poet Laureate is now open. The application form and information are available on the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation website: https://uppoetlaureate.org/. The submission deadline is January 15, 2023.

The Upper Peninsula Poet Laureate will promote poetry and the spoken word. The laureate will encourage appreciation of the art form and creative expression by a wide-range of residents of the region through public readings, workshops, virtual events, and digital platforms. The laureate will celebrate the U.P. and its cultural heritage through poems in online or print publications and champion past and present U.P. poets. The Upper Peninsula Poet Laureate serves a two-year term, which may be renewed one time.

The Upper Peninsula Poet Laureate Foundation embraces the diversity of human experience and identity. All applications are welcome, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, cultural heritage, socio-economic background, or physical ability.

A review panel has been established of librarians, poets, and academics from across the U.P. to evaluate the applications and choose the U.P. Poet Laureate based on the candidate’s qualifications, sample work and references.

Members of the media may contact: Martin Achatz, Vice-President, U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation, machatz@pwpl.info or Phillip Rice, Selection Committee Co-chair, philip@mackinacartscouncil.org.  For application information or more information on the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation, please go to https://uppoetlaureate.org/.

Janeen Pergrin Rastall

President, U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation

2100 M-28 E

Marquette MI 49855