Aurora will be looking for “self-identified poets” to become the new poet laureate of Aurora.
That was one of the main requirements Mayor Richard Irvin voiced recently in discussing the new position he sees as a part of both celebrating the city’s successes today and historically.
“It will help celebrate the diversity, the history of Aurora,” Irvin said.
In addition, the poet laureate will help celebrate city events, create a lasting legacy historically for the city and “bring people together,” Irvin said of the new position.
He said poetry will take its place in the city along with its growing community of visual, musical and performance art.
Irvin first announced his intention to create the poet laureate position last month, while he read a proclamation declaring April as Poetry Month in the city.
This past week, at his every-other-week press briefing, he gave out more details of how the poet will be chosen.
He said a person must be a resident of the city and a “self-identified poet.” People will submit resumes and writing samples to the city, and will have to do a recitation of some of their writing and a personal interview.
Those will be done with an Ad Hoc Committee the mayor will form to make the selection of the poet laureate. The committee will include the mayor, some city staff, an alderman and selected community members.
City officials will announce where applications should go, and the deadline for them, at a later time.