Generally, a poet laureate’s main role is to serve as a literary ambassador, an advocate for poetry, language and the arts. A few are required to write poems for special occasions, but that is not the general rule. Rather the poet is supposed to concentrate on their own work and share that with their community. Often a poet laureate will create a legacy project during their term.
Poetry has nothing to do with poetry.
Poetry is how the air goes green before thunder,
is the sound you make when you come, and
why you live and how you bleed, and the sound you make or don't make when you die.
It's PEN Canada's 25th anniversary, and we want to thank you for supporting our work. [details]
News
Library Announces Kristan Anderson as Owen Sound Poet Laureate
The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library is pleased to announce that local spoken word poet Kristan Anderson has been selected as Owen Sound Poet Laureate 2009-2010.
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News
Congratulations to Don McKay
Congratulations to Don McKay of St. John’s, Newfoundland [details]
News
Former Poet Laureate Celebrated PEI's Heritage
Writer, teacher and former Prince Edward Island poet laureate Frank Ledwell died Aug. 14, 2008, in Charlottetown. His work celebrated the heritage and life of Prince Edward Island. [details]
News
Poet Laureate Plants Trees
As Poet Laureate of Brantford, and as a participant in Random Acts of Poetry, John B. Lee has planted four Poet Trees in the City of Brantford, each one dedicated to a poet from Ontario. [details]
News
Britain's Poet Laureate Has Writer's Block
British poet laureate Andrew Motion is planning to resign next year. And while he has long professed his desire to leave the lifetime appointment early, he is more anxious than ever to get back to living without the laurels. Motion, it seems, has developed a nasty case of writer's block and describes his time as poet laureate as having been "very, very damaging" to his work. "I dried up completely about five years ago," he told the British newspaper The Guardian, "and can't write anything except to commission." [details]
