UPDATED Nov. 23, 2016: City Arts Program manager Stephanie Johnson announced that the Olympia City Council approved Amy Solomon-Minarchi as Olympia’s first poet laureate. Solomon-Minarchi is in her fourth year of teaching at North Thurston High School. She grew up on the Jersey Shore and moved to Washington state in 2005. She holds a 2004 bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and a 2009 master’s degree in teaching from The Evergreen State College. For a sample of Solomon-Minarchi’s work, read “My Husband Is a Sniper” on Proto Merkaba.
The city of Olympia sought an official poet laureate to engage with the community in the literary arts. The intent of Olympia’s poet laureate position is to:
· promote poetry as an art form
· expand access to the literary arts
· connect the community to poetry
· promote poetry as a community voice that contributes to a sense of place
This is a two-year appointment earning a $1,000 stipend per year. In coordination with City Arts Program staff, the poet laureate has the flexibility to shape a scope of work that reflects her interests, skills and abilities.
Each applicant was a practicing poet dedicated to producing poetry in any form, genre or style on a regular basis. A residency verification process was conducted prior to approval.
Learn more: 360-709-2678 | email.