I am on the board of the New England Poetry Club, and at a recent meeting one of our board members wondered why we don't have a state poet laureate. In December, we had a wonderful reading with New England Poet Laureates, and we all were very impressed with the work that they have done. A friend of mine--a former state legislator--tried to push a bill through many times, but it was considered "fluff." Hey--don't we have a state donut? This couldn't be a money issue, because most laureates get grants of only a couple of thousand per year, and I believe you get a lot of bang for the buck. And it is a damn shame that our state that has a rich literary history does not have one. I encourage you to call or write your legislator, the governor, or your local newspaper to make them aware of this. It couldn't hurt if you put this on your social media. Who knows!-- it may become viral---and there is no vaccine. Below is a link to the State Poet Laureate reading--where the poets read from their work and explained what they have done in their roles as community building creatives.
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