Reposted from Mass Cultural Council.
Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities today announced that Massachusetts is now accepting applications to fill the role of Poet Laureate of Massachusetts.
In February, the Governor – surrounded by poets and cultural leaders – signed an executive order establishing the position of Poet Laureate of Massachusetts. This new, honorary position is intended to promote poetry and creative expression across the state, serve as the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s ambassador of the arts, and inspire the next generation of writers.
“I was proud to sign an Executive Order establishing our first-ever state Poet Laureate,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re excited to be opening the application so that local poets from across the state can apply for this historic position. This is an opportunity to spread the gift of poetry, celebrate the talent in our state, stoke the fires of imagination, and tell our stories.”
“Massachusetts has always been a hub for generations of writers who have shaped both our state’s identity and our nation’s story, and this position is an opportunity to continue this leadership,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We hope that poets from across Massachusetts will apply, and we’re grateful for the work of the Nominating Committee led by Michael Bobbitt to review applications.”
The Poet Laureate will be charged with encouraging the appreciation of poetry and creative expression across Massachusetts, participating in public readings and other statewide literary and cultural events, composing poetry for ceremonial occasions, and advising the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on an outreach program for schools focused on the celebration and advancement of poetry.
The Executive Order establishes an advisory Poet Laureate Nominating Committee, chaired by Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt, to review applications for the role and submit recommendations to the Governor. The selected candidate will be eligible for an honorarium provided by Mass Cultural Council.
“Mass Cultural Council, the Commonwealth’s state arts agency, believes in the power of culture and recognizes poetry as a strong and vital art form that inspires connection, fosters empathy, and gives voice to diverse experiences,” said Bobbitt. “Poetry has the unique ability to capture the essence of human emotion, challenge perspectives, and build bridges between communities. We are thrilled to partner with the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our friends at Mass Humanities to ensure this initiative is a success. This new voice will help to enrich our cultural landscape, remind us of our rich legacy of profound writers, and strengthen the creative spirit of the Commonwealth.”
As chair of the Nominating Committee, Bobbitt has named Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities, to serve as the Nominating Committee co-chair. Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities worked in partnership to develop the guidelines and application for the position.
Creative individuals are encouraged to apply if they are a literary artist who composes poetry of any genre, form, or category; are 18 years of age or older; and are a full-time resident of Massachusetts. As a part of the application process, applicants are asked to respond to narrative questions related to the position and submit work samples.
“Poets construct possibilities and trace the truths that lie just beyond our line of sight,” said Boyles. “The board and staff of Mass Humanities are grateful to partner with Governor Healey and Mass Cultural Council to uplift the many great poets of the Commonwealth as we seek to fill this invaluable new role. We believe that the first poet laureate is an important step as we deepen our appreciation and support for poetry.”
The Poet Laureate application deadline is April 10, 2025. The Nominating Committee will review applications and refer two candidates to the Governor for her decision. The Poet Laureate is expected to be named by Governor Healey in late May/early June.
Program Guidelines
Please note: Applications for the poet laureate should be directed to Mass Cultural Council.
Poetry enriches the civic life of Massachusetts in innumerable ways. In response to Governor Maura T. Healey’s Executive Order no. 640 establishing a Poet Laureate of Massachusetts, Mass Cultural Council, in partnership with Mass Humanities are proud to administer the Poet Laureate application process.
The Poet Laureate is appointed by the Governor and reports to the Governor’s Office. The Poet Laureate serves for a two-year term and may be reappointed for up to one additional two-year term.
Poet Laureate duties include:
- Encouraging appreciation of poetry and creative expression across Massachusetts.
- Attending public readings and other statewide literary and cultural events in diverse regions of the state as requested by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
- Composing poetry for ceremonial occasions as requested by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor.
- Advising the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on an outreach program for schools focused on the celebration and advancement of poetry.
Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities will grant an honorarium of $15,000 in FY25 to acknowledge the unique significance of the Poet Laureate position. Pending funding availability and spending approval, an honorarium may be granted each year of the Poet Laureate’s term.
Who Can Apply
We encourage you to apply if you are:
A literary artist who composes poetry of any genre, form, or category (i.e.: Haiku, Spoken Word, Prose, Ghazal, Sonnet, etc.).
AND you meet all the following requirements:
- You are 18 years of age or older.
- You are a “full-year resident” of Massachusetts resident (as defined in the Massachusetts tax code). Furthermore, you have lived in Massachusetts for, at minimum, the last three consecutive years.
- You are not a member of the Governor-appointed “Poet Laureate Nominating Committee”. Family of Nominating Committee members are likewise ineligible to apply. Additionally, Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities staff and board/council members, and their families, are not eligible to apply.
Position Requirements/Review Criteria
The Poet Laureate should demonstrate the following:
- Experience related to duties as outlined above including potential travel, events, and educational experiences.
- A substantial body of work.
- Commitment to promoting an awareness of poetry and literary excellence.
Application Instructions
Apply using Mass Cultural Council’s grants management system. If you are registered/logged in as an Individual, you will find the application form under “Current Opportunities”.
The application components include:
- An eligibility quiz to confirm you are eligible to serve in the position.
- Personal information including your name and contacts.
- Upload of a resume/CV or bio.
- Narrative questions:
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- Describe the relevant experience you have had related to the duties of Poet Laureate including but not limited to: attending public readings and other literary and cultural events in diverse regions, composing poetry on commission or in response to a requested theme or topic, engaging with the public through educational or community opportunities, etc.
- The Poet Laureate should possess a “substantial body of work”. Please describe your body of work as a poet and how you and your work have demonstrated a commitment to promoting awareness of poetry and literary excellence.
- Work samples (more information in the next section).
Please ensure that your application materials only include the information specifically requested. Do not include any sensitive personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security Number, or private health details.
Work Samples
Please submit up to five files as samples of your poetry. Your combined samples should be no more than 10 pages and/or 10 minutes total. Fewer than 10 pages and/or 10 minutes combined is acceptable.
You may submit poetry as document file(s), audio or video file(s).
You may submit the following file types:
- Audio: FLAC, MID, MIDI, MP3, RA, RM, WAV, WMA.
- Document: DOC, DOCX, PDF, RTF, TXT.
- Video: ASF, AVI, FLV, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP2, MP4, MPEG, MPG, RM, RMVB, WEBM, WMV.
Review Process
The review process will consist of two rounds. After the application deadline, Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities staff will review and score all applications based on their demonstration of the position requirements as outlined above. Staff will advance a select number of candidates to be reviewed by the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee is co-chaired by leadership from Mass Cultural Council and Mass Humanities and includes legislative leaders or their designees as well as members appointed by the Governor. Per the Executive Order, the committee is required to include at least one each of the following: a poet or poetry editor; a representative from a Massachusetts humanities organization; a representative from an indigenous community or Tribal Nation in Massachusetts; and a scholar from the public state university.
From the pool of applicants forwarded by staff, the Nominating Committee will select TWO candidates to nominate for the Governor’s consideration. The Governor will make the final selection. Finalists may be asked to provide documentation of proof of residency and other additional background materials as part of the review.
Poet Laureate Service
Please note that Mass Cultural Council plays no role in administering the duties and responsibilities of the Poet Laureate during their term. The honorarium provided by the Council is not meant to serve as compensation but is a grant in recognition of their achievement as a poet.
The Poet Laureate will work directly with the Governor’s office to develop a schedule of public readings, events, and activities related to their role as the Commonwealth’s Poet Laureate.
Members of the public who would like to request a reading and/or invite the Poet Laureate take part in their events and activities should contact the Poet Laureate directly and should be prepared to have a budget in place to compensate the Poet Laureate for their time and travel related to their attendance/participation/reading.
Timeline
Application opens: March 18, 2025
Virtual office hours: March 27, 2025, 11am; April 3, 2025, 11am
Application deadline: April 10, 2025
Selection finalized; email notifications sent: Late-May 2025
Term begins: June 2025
