Know a great local poet? Go ahead, nominate 'em

Portland's first and current Poet Laureate, Martin Steingesser, was inaugurated in a gala celebration at the Longfellow House and a ceremonial reading at Portland City Hall. As part of his 2007-09 term, Steingesser organized and participated in readings and performances and taught workshops throughout Maine, including appearances at the Stonecoast Writers Conference, the Common Ground Fair, the Bangor Public Library, the North Star Café, the Portland City Council and the State of the Laurel Poetry and Music Road Show at the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center.

For the 2009-11 Laureateship, nominations of poets who have a substantial body of work, who are active in the local poetry community and who have lived for a year or more in Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Falmouth, Westbrook, Cape Elizabeth or on any of the islands in Casco Bay will be welcomed.

Nomination forms are available at Longfellow Books and via email from Dennis Camire at bioluminescing@yahoo.com. Completed forms will be accepted from now through May 1. Portland's next Poet Laureate will be chosen by the end of May, and will be inaugurated at a gala public celebration in June.

The Portland Poet Laureate Board was founded in 2007 by Dennis Camire, Executive Director of the non-profit organization Maine Poetry Central. The Portland Poet Laureate Board is made up of eight volunteers locally involved in literature, education and publishing, including:

Chris Bowe, Longfellow Books
Chris Busby, Managing Editor, The Bollard
Dennis Camire, Executive Director, Maine Poetry Central
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, Executive Director, The Telling Room
Megan Grumbling, Poet and Writing Instructor, UNE and SMCC
Michael Macklin, Associate Editor, The Café Review
Alice Persons, Editor and Publisher, Moon Pie Press
Judy Tierney, Poet and Performer