By Connie Martinez, SVCREATES’ Chief Executive Officer
Every two years, SVCREATES partners with the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) to select a new Santa Clara County Poet Laureate. Since 2009, we have been moved by each of the poets selected: County Poet Laureates Nils Peterson, Sally Ashton, David Perez, Arlene Biala, Mighty Mike McGee, and most recently, Janice Lobo Sapigao. Thank you to this remarkable group of poets for elevating this beautiful art form and sharing the power of poetry to heal, inform, and inspire.
We are excited to share that we are formalizing our partnership with Poetry Center San José to increase the number of County Poet Laureate applicants and support the County Poet Laureates’ work, once appointed. And for purposes of clarity, transparency, and inclusion we have updated the application, clarified the responsibilities, and streamlined the “job description”.
Thank you to our current County Poet Laureate Janice Lobo Sapigao for informing many of these current changes and working in partnership with our team, Library staff, and prior County Poet Laureates to make the program stronger and more accessible to the children, families, and poets of Santa Clara County — a continuous improvement process that has no end.
During her time as the Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, Janice launched the new Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program to connect young poets to opportunities for performances and community collaborations. This year, Anouk Yeh was recognized as the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate, 2021–2022 and Mahder Aklilu was recognized as the Santa Clara County Vice Youth Poet Laureate, 2021–2022. We are excited to see how these two young people will elevate the youth voices of the county with a commitment to artistic and literary excellence, civic engagement, and social impact.
The application process for the 2022–2023 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate is now open and we look forward to announcing our next County Poet Laureate in early 2022. Click here for more information and be sure to apply before the deadline of September 24, 2021. Please share with your colleagues, family, and friends to help us attract a robust slate of poets.
