Video summary
Xavier Blake, the executive director of One Columbia for arts and culture, introduces the initiative to select the next City Poet Laureate for Columbia. This significant role was originally established in 2014 through a city council resolution, with Dr. Ed Madden serving as the very first laureate. The program aims to leverage the power of poetry to foster deeper connections between the community and the world, utilizing the talents of local poets to create meaningful opportunities for engagement and expression within the city.
The primary goal for this new selection is to find a laureate who can actively engage the city through their poetic work. The current laureate, Jennifer Bartell Boykin, has already made substantial contributions by establishing the Soda City Poetry Festival at the Richland County Library and conducting weekend workshops on poetry. Her leadership and stewardship of the position have set a strong foundation, and the organization is eager to see how the next appointee will build upon these efforts to further enrich the cultural landscape of Columbia.
To become the next laureate, interested individuals can submit applications available on the One Columbia website at www.onecolumbiasc.com, with the deadline set for September 5th at midnight. Following the submission period, a panel convened by the city council will review the applications and decide on the winner. This selection process ensures that the decision is made through a formal and structured approach, reflecting the importance of the role within the community's cultural framework.
The official announcement of the new City Poet Laureate is scheduled for November 22nd, which coincides with Jennifer Bartell Boykin's final reading as the current laureate. This event will serve as a celebratory transition, honoring her tenure while introducing the future voice that will continue to shape the city's poetic identity. One Columbia expresses deep gratitude for Jennifer's dedication and looks forward to the exciting developments that lie ahead for the program under new leadership.
Read the full video transcript
Hello. My name is Xavier Blake and I'm
the executive director here at One
Columbia for arts and culture. We're
really excited about selecting our next
poet laureate for the city of Columbia.
This is a
position that was established in 2014
through resolution by city council and
our very first poet laureate was Dr. Ed
Madden.
Poetry gives us the opportunity to
connect with the world through our words
and our tremendously talented poets in
Columbia gives us lots of opportunities
to make that
Our goal was for our next poet laureate
to engage our city through poetry. Our
current poet laureate, Jennifer Bartell
Boykin, established the Soda City Poetry
Festival at the Richland County Library
and is currently holding workshops there
as well for poetry during the weekends.
Applications to be the next laureate are
open on our website at
www.onecolumbiasc.com. The application
will close on September
5th at midnight. One Columbia, through a
resolution passed by city council,
convenes a panel to decide the city's
next poet laureate.
The announcement of the city's next poet
laureate will be November 22nd at
Jennifer Bartell Boykin's final reading
as the city's poet laureate.
We are grateful for Jennifer Bartell
Boykin's stewardship of the poet
laureate position and we're excited to
see what's next.