Provided by Prince William County Arts Council
Dr Robert Scott and Zan Hailey, Poets Laureate 2014-2016
“Poetry is exciting today- not what you think. It’s about telling the truth and not having education overwhelm your voice. It’s about who sounds the best like themselves.” Dr. Robert Scott, 2014 PWC Poet Laureate.
“Poets may not necessarily write about their truth, but rather the way they see someone else’s truth.” Zan Hailey, 2014 PWC Poet Laureate.
The ideal candidate for the two-year appointment is comfortable in public gatherings and is enthusiastic about initiating a dialogue within the community about the merits of literary expression.
The Laureate will receive a $500 honorarium plus additional funding for expenses and a community outreach or educational program. Candidates can nominate themselves by visiting pwcartscouncil.org.
Click on the “About” page on the PWC Arts Council website and scroll down for a direct link to the Poet Laureate Nomination Packet. The closing date for entries is May 14, 2016.
The Selection Panel will make a blind decision from among the entries and the new Laureate will be crowned at the PWC Arts Council event SummerFest on June 18 at the Tackett’s Mill Center’s Lakeside.
The Selection panel members are Dr. Ed Stephenson, Supervisor of the Arts for PWC Public Schools, Penny Barrows, Coordinator for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at George Mason University, Tabatha Turman, President of PW Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta and CEO of IFAS, Bryanna Altman, President of the PWC Public Library System Foundation and CEO of The Computer Doctor, Randi Reid, President of Randall Publishing Corporation, Dr. Robert Scott, current Co-Laureate and teacher at Osbourn Park HS, Dr. Pia Taavila-Borsheim, Professor at Gallaudet University in Washington DC, J.K. Daniels, Associate Dean at Northern Virginia Community College, and June Forte, Selection Panel Chair, NVCC Woodbridge Campus.”
Hailey and Scott crowned as Poets Laureate, 2014
The current Co-Laureates have made a huge impact on our community.
Dr. Robert Scott worked closely with students from K-12 to prepare them for the reading and writing SOLs, held sessions for family literacy nights, and read and lectured at events across the county.
Zan Hailey is known for her “Ekphrastisize That” workshops in which students translate poetry into other art mediums to build confidence and expand creativity.
The Laureate Program is an initiative of the PWC Arts Council.
