Will you be Queens’ next poet laureate?

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By Victoria Merlino

Borough President Melinda Katz is looking for poetic residents to be the next poet-in-residence.

Katz is calling on Queens residents to apply for the Queens poet laureate position, an unpaid role to help spread poetry and creativity throughout the borough. 

The poet laureate position requires applicants must be borough residents who have lived in Queens for at least the past two years, have poetry inspired by the borough and must have at least some of their work published. 

The poet laureate will be expected to read their work at Queens libraries, participate in annual events in partnership with the Queens Borough President’s Office and conduct outreach about poetry. It is a three-year position.

The first Queens poet laureate was introduced in 1997, after first being proposed in 1996 by the Friends of the Queens College Library and endorsed by former Borough President Claire Shulman. The current Queens poet laureate is Maria Lisella, who has published her work in a host of anthologies and publications. 

To apply, residents can submit up to 10 pages of their work, along with a resume and a short essay on why they want to be poet laureate, to poetlaureate@queensbp.org. Applicant must all complete a form, found at queensbp.org/poet-laureate/. Applications close Sept. 20.