The press release includes a poem from Jay Barnes of the governor's staff entitled, "A Poet We Shall Appoint," but we shall spare you his words. In essence he waxes poetic about Missouri's environment--something many of late take exception--gives the state credit for Twain, Hemingway, Eliot and Hughes, and then announces the governor's idea for naming the Poet Laureate.
Missouri's poets
According to poet.org, Missouri can take credit for T.S. Eliot who was raised in St. Louis and who eventually was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948; Maya Angelou who was born in St. Louis who may better be known for her civil rights activities; and Carl Phillips, professor of English and African and Afro-American studies at Washington University-St. Louis whose poetic work has garnered him numerous awards. Their secondary list of 13 poets contains those either born in or around St. Louis--with two exceptions, including one notable--or those who in some way were affiliated with an educational facility within the state. Missouri likes to take credit for Langston Hughes with Joplin in particular because Hughes was born here, but anyone who has read Hughes' official biography knows that the family left the state with him when he was just a few days old because of civil rights violations, including the burning and looting of the black neighborhood in which he and his family lived.
Those born in St. Louis include Sara Teasdale, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Eugene Field; Marianne Moore was born around St. Louis. David Clewell lives in St. Louis while Mona Van Duyn lived there until her death in 2004. James Tate was born in Kansas City. Donald Finkel has been a writer-in-residence at the Center for Humanities at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, H.L. Hix was associated with the Kansas City Art Institute, Howard Nemerov was a Distinguished Poet in Residence at Washington University-St. Louis, Kevin Prufer was educated at Washington University and became associate professor of the creative writing program at Central Missouri State University, and Sherod Santos is professor of English at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
One might mention professors at Missouri Southern State University who have had poems published. They include Joey Brown, Joy Dworkin and Bill Kumbier.
Poetry may be quite an effective tool in presenting an idea. Lavaun Bushnell of Neosho from time to time is inspired by the muse and events around her. She wrote The Fly and I found here after learning that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources had granted a permit to allow MoArk, LLC, a nearby egg-producing CAFO to raise its chicken-laying population by 3.6 million birds.
According to the governor's promo, the Missouri Poet Laureate will "be responsible to help promote the arts in Missouri by making appearances at public libraries and schools across the state. The poet will also be called upon to compose an original poem in honor of Missouri and to perform the poem at an event commemorating the new position."
A nominee must be a current resident of the state. Submissions must include the poet's name, city of residence, contact information and writing samples and may be sent here.
Nominations will be accepted through December 1, 2007. The position, by the way, is for "glory" not remuneration.
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