Lacey commission vets search plan for next poet laureate 

Cynthia Pratt's tenure as Lacey's inaugural poet laureate is ending in April, so the city is ramping up its search for a successor.

The Lacey Commission on Equity reviewed draft criteria for the position at a meeting on Dec. 22, three weeks after the Lacey City Council adopted the Poet Laureate Program Policy on Dec. 2. 

Pratt was named the city's first Poet Laureate on Jan. 20, 2022. The city expects to appoint her successor by late April, which is coincides with National Poetry Month. 

The application period for the position opens this month and runs through Jan. 30. A panel review is going to follow in late January or early February, with a recommendation heading to the Lacey City Council in March. 

The appointment runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2028. 

Lacey Assistant City Manager Shannon Kelley-Fong told commissioners the city wants to orchestrate a ceremonial handoff between the outgoing and incoming poet laureates. 

"What we wanted to celebrate with the outgoing poet laureate is to have them perform their last poem as poet laureate for the city council, and then have the new poet laureate perform their first poem for the city council," Kelley-Fong said. 

An advisory board will review applications in the absence of a standing art committee. 

Community participants who may join the advisory board include the current or past poet laureate, a representative from North Thurston Public Schools, South Puget Sound Community College or Saint Martin's University with experience in poetry or literature, and up to two members of local poetry organizations. 

All participants may vote. A simple majority would determine the panel's recommendation to the city council.  

According to the city, criteria include artistic merit, community engagement experience, proposed community-based poetry programs, budget and other relevant factors. The city council, however, has the final say on the appointment. 

Criteria

Candidates must have resided in Lacey for at least 12 consecutive months and be at least 18 years old. 

Applicants are asked to explain their passion for poetry, detail how they would promote poetry in the city, outline community engagement plans, and address how they would track programming impact through metrics, such as demographics, attendees, number of poems and online engagement. 

Applicants must also propose two community-based poetry programs. Examples in the draft application include a poetry summit, workshops, public art collaborations or apprentice program. 

A proposed budget is required as well. Submissions must include a resume or curriculum vitae with information on published poems, plus three to five original poems. 

To accommodate applicants of varying ages and experience levels, Kelley-Fong said the city is keeping requirements open-ended. 

"In the case of an individual like that, you know, there's lots of options, whether that's, you know, providing kind of what they've done in their maybe high schools, or maybe with some of their friend groups or community groups," Kelley-Fong said. "It doesn't have to be something that's an official event. It could be something maybe they have a YouTube channel and they like to read.” 

Once in the role, the poet laureate must create and present original poems appropriate for all audiences with a minimum of six city publications or events annually, one of which must be a reading at a city council meeting in April. 

Additional duties include developing and leading one community-based poetry program each year, collaborating with local schools, libraries, cultural institutions or nonprofits, and submitting a brief annual report summarizing activities and impact. 

Inclusivity, outreach 

In terms of inclusivity, Commission Chair Kim Sauer questioned how non-English speakers could participate and whether an application could be translated. 

Kelley-Fong acknowledged the draft criteria is not currently translated, citing a tight timeline. She noted, however, that staff has been working on a language access plan expected to roll out in 2026. 

Vice Chair Thelma Jackson, meanwhile, turned to the question of visibility, asking how the city would publicize the opportunity. 

In response, Kelley-Fong relayed a multi-pronged outreach strategy that includes videos of four or five new poems recorded with Pratt, social media pushes and promotion through Lacey Weekly, the city's digital newsletter. 

She also mentioned utility billing inserts and the "Latest in Lacey" video recap broadcast on city communication channels and Lacey TV 77 would also plug the opportunity. 

Rounding out the strategy, Pratt's involvement in local poetry organizations offers another avenue for word-of-mouth outreach, Kelley-Fong added. The city is now building a website with additional program information. 

To learn more about the poet laureate program, the public can visit the City of Lacey YouTube channel for Pratt's recorded poems.