Selection Process
Salem Poet Laureate Committee
The Mayor’s Office, in collaboration with the Salem Public Library, will establish a Salem Poet Laureate Committee that will include representatives from the Mass Poetry Festival, the Salem Public Art Commission, English faculty at Salem Public Schools and at Salem State University, the Salem Athenaeum, and the Salem Public Library Board of Trustees. The Salem Public Library Director will chair the committee and members will serve by invitation of the Mayor. The committee will be charged with producing and promoting a call for submissions and will review and evaluate applications providing their recommendation of a finalist to the mayor for selection of a poet laureate every two years. A new committee may be named every two years, at the Mayor’s discretion.
Appointment
The Mayor will appoint the Salem Poet Laureate from among the finalists recommended by the committee based on their professional evaluation and the process described below. The Salem Poet Laureate is appointed to a two-year term.
Timeline: Initial Program Launch is Scheduled for Early 2023
Starting in even number years:
March – Mayor appoints the Poet Laureate Committee members.
April 1 - Call for applications issued.
May 31 - Deadline for applications to be received.
June and July – Mayor’s Office staff review applications for completeness and transmit eligible applications to the Poet Laureate Committee. The committee reviews applications individually and submits their scores for each applicant to the Mayor’s Office for tabulation of the four finalists.
August – Finalists interview with the committee.
September 1 – Committee submits evaluations to the Mayor.
By September 30 – Mayor announces Poet Laureate.
January of the Odd numbered year – Poet Laureate term commences and they deliver initial original work at the Organizational Meeting of City government.
Term runs January of the Odd Numbered Year through December of the next even numbered year.