Title
Poetry Reading by Olympia’s Poet Laureate
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive the poetry presentation. Reading only; No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a presentation of poetry from Olympia’s Poet Laureate Amy Solomon Minarchi.
Staff Contact:
Angel Nava, Arts Program Specialist, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.753.8384
Presenter(s):
Amy Solomon-Minarchi, Olympia Poet Laureate
Background and Analysis:
Part of the work of Olympia’s Poet Laureate is to present a poem at the first City Council meeting of each year. In January 2017, Olympia’s first Poet Laureate, Amy Solomon Minarchi, kicked off the opening City Council meeting of the year with her poem, “Credo Unplugged.” Since that first official engagement, Ms. Minarchi has worked to fulfill the goals of the Poet Laureate program:
• 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
In 2017, she:
• Conducted two workshops in coordination with the Olympia Timberland Library.
• Provided poetry instruction to incarcerated youth through the Inkwell program of Community Youth Services.
• Presented a poetry walk/workshop, performances and a community sidewalk poetry project during spring and fall Arts Walks.
• Organized Poetry at the Bus Stop and soon to come, Poetry Rides the Bus, with Intercity Transit.
• Worked with several other poets to provide three haiku poems to be stamped into the concrete at the isthmus park development.
• Acted as the City’s poetry ambassador at multiple poetry events in the community.
For the next quarter of her appointment, Ms. Minarchi plans to:
• Put out a call for submissions for a Community Poetry Anthology: "I Hear Olympia Singing".
• Present a four-workshop Youth Performance Poetry series focused on writing and performance that culminates with a youth poetry reading in June 2018.
• Host two poetry reading: Bus Poets: Reading at TRL Olympia Branch, February 2018, and Teen Reading: April 2018 Arts Walk.
• Host a Poetry of Place workshop at the Olympia Poetry Network, April 10, 2018 6-8 pm, and a Young Writer's Club! workshop at Madison Elementary School, January 16, 2018 3:30-4:30 pm. These two workshops are also available to any other agency or organization interested in hosting.
Ms. Solomon Minarchi’s term ends in December of 2018. In addition to continuing her work of championing poetry in our community for her final quarter as Poet Laureate, she will also help facilitate and transition the successor Poet Laureate for the next two-year term.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
None known.
Options:
N/A
Financial Impact:
Funds for the Poet Laureate’s two-year appointment have already been approved.
Attachments:
None