Support local poets
"Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." Percy Shelley, 1822
In the 1800s, maybe that was true. But today, unfortunately, it seems that poetry is a dying art form. I will always have a certain fondness for poems. They were what I wrote when I took writing seriously. And I love that you can capture so much with only a few words. A lifetime.
I got my vote in right before the deadline for the Seattle Poet Populist. Honestly, I voted for a kind woman who lives in B.'s building and always opens the door for me. We all have our own reasons for voting the way we do, whether for something small or more consequential, say like the Presidential Election.
San Francisco, Denver and Toronto are examples of cities that conduct official Poet Laureate programs. Unlike Poet Laureate programs, Seattle conducts a city-wide popular vote to determine its official civic poet – a Poet Populist. Classic laureate programs rely upon direct selection by dignitaries or government officials. In 1999, the Seattle City Council recognized the election of its first official Seattle Poet Populist. The Seattle Poet Populist program continues today, charged with promoting the principals of populist poetic expression when performing in and around the City, providing public education in poetry and authoring an original poem for inclusion in the City’s archives at the conclusion of his or her one-year term.
Even if you aren’t sold on any of the poets running, I’d encourage you to vote and support local artists who are trying to make it. Voting closes at 5:00 pm today.
In the 1800s, maybe that was true. But today, unfortunately, it seems that poetry is a dying art form. I will always have a certain fondness for poems. They were what I wrote when I took writing seriously. And I love that you can capture so much with only a few words. A lifetime.
I got my vote in right before the deadline for the Seattle Poet Populist. Honestly, I voted for a kind woman who lives in B.'s building and always opens the door for me. We all have our own reasons for voting the way we do, whether for something small or more consequential, say like the Presidential Election.
San Francisco, Denver and Toronto are examples of cities that conduct official Poet Laureate programs. Unlike Poet Laureate programs, Seattle conducts a city-wide popular vote to determine its official civic poet – a Poet Populist. Classic laureate programs rely upon direct selection by dignitaries or government officials. In 1999, the Seattle City Council recognized the election of its first official Seattle Poet Populist. The Seattle Poet Populist program continues today, charged with promoting the principals of populist poetic expression when performing in and around the City, providing public education in poetry and authoring an original poem for inclusion in the City’s archives at the conclusion of his or her one-year term.
Even if you aren’t sold on any of the poets running, I’d encourage you to vote and support local artists who are trying to make it. Voting closes at 5:00 pm today.
posted by Elizabeth at 3:23 PM
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