City of Boise Announces First Poet Laureate

BOISE, ID- Boise resident Diane Raptosh has been selected as Boise's first Poet Laureate. Ms. Raptosh is a professor of English and the Eyck-Berringer Endowed Chair at The College of Idaho. She is the recipient of a number of honors and awards in the field of poetry and is the author of American Amnesiac (Etruscan Press, 2013), among others. A search committee unanimously selected her from the many fine poets submitted for consideration. Her depth of experience in writing and presenting poetry, her stellar reputation, and her compelling vision for city's first Poet Laureate earned her the coveted position.

The Boise Poet Laureate will create and read three new works pertinent to BOISE 150 themes of environment, enterprise, and community at selected BOISE 150 events. The Poet Laureate will also present a reading and discussion of work as part of National Poetry Month in April in the Sesqui-Shop (BOISE 150 headquarters). Other specially identified opportunities will be announced during the coming year.

Ms. Raptosh was introduced to Mayor Bieter and the City Council at today's Council Work Session. Her first reading will be on February 9, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Summit Auditorium at the Boise Centre as part of a BOISE 150 event, "Placing Boise in the American West." The event is free and open to the public.
 

Why a Poet Laureate for Boise?

Poet Laureates are teachers who, through poetry, help citizens at all levels of society interpret the world and appreciate and understand the power of language. Poetry is a wonderful way to teach literacy. The growing number of poetry festivals and other poetry events throughout the U.S. is evidence that people want more poetry in their lives.

By honoring a Poet Laureate the City acknowledges that: 1) Our city values a literate population; and 2) we have designated a person to promote that message. Boise currently has no programs that focus on poets or poetry, although poets are encouraged to apply for an Arts & History grant to write and present poetry.

What will the Poet Laureate do?

In brief, the Poet Laureate will develop outreach activities that will bring the power of poetry to Boise, particularly citizens in underserved areas. Those activities might include readings, workshops and other literary events at educational institutions and civic and cultural venues. The Poet Laureate also will be called upon to present poems at ceremonial occasions and official city events, i.e. Boise 150 commemoration activities, Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Art & History, and others.

This program will be administered by the Boise City Arts & History Department, the official sponsor of the Poet Laureate program.

What are goals of the Boise Poet Laureate Program?

• Raise awareness of the power of poetry and the spoken word.
• Enhance the literary arts in Boise.
• Celebrate the spirit of the people of Boise.
• Create a focal point for expressing Boise's culture through the literary arts.
• Contribute to the continued growth of the individual Poets Laureate.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration through the literary arts.
• Build a body of work that commemorates the life of our city.
• Create a unique program that will become a model for other Idaho cities.

How many cities and states have a Poet Laureate?

According to the Library of Congress, 43 states have official state poet laureate positions (two states, Alaska and Idaho, broadened the post to "Writer Laureate"). The District of Columbia and Santa Fe, N.M., appoint city poets laureate.

About Us:

The Department of Arts & History was established by City Ordinance in March 2008 to enhance the Boise community by providing leadership, advocacy, education, services, and support for arts and history. The new Department emerged from the former Boise City Arts Commission, which was established by City Ordinance in 1978 as a nonprofit city agency to advise and assist the City Council in development, coordination, promotion and support of the arts.