HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-12 Poet Laureate Committee Minutes North Andover Poet Laureate Committee — Notes
Monday January 12, 2026 7:00 PM Town Hall,2nd floor conference room
Public access email: poetemails@northandoverma.gov
Present: PLC chair: Karen Kline, PLC members: Mark Bohrer, Graham Jackson, Signe Spencer, Christa Lamb, Dan Speers,
Away: Michael Finegold. Other invitees:Jason O'Toole, Dave Kres (Select Board)
1. Next Poet Laureate
• Christa Lamb—ACTION Karen—reach out to
• ACTION: Christa—send bio and picture to Karen—she will send to town Select Board
2. 2026 Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest
• "An Eye for the World -What Do You See?"
o It brings us back to noticing, observing and witnessing, which feels true to what poetry is at its core.
• Review Rules and website
o Rule change-1 poem per person
• Idea: have all winners receive a pair of sunglasses
o This keeps everything aligned. It blends outward observation with personal meaning without mixing
two different scales of reflection.
• ACTION: Mark—see if NA CAM can do the show live, in addition to recording it.
• ACTION: Karen—check with town—confirm we have May 2nd reserved with May 9 as rain date
• ACTION: Mark—check on what the manual step was using the web site form (see if we can improve it this
year)
• ANNOUNCEMENT Plan:
o When website updated, Mark will send announcement to schools—North Andover&Andover
o ACTION: Mark—include fund notice in announcement email
Contest Dates:
Contest is open until April 1
Award Ceremony is May 2nd (May 9t" rain date)—Start at Noon
• Contest Website—dual login access
Contest Judges
- ACTION: Mark—ask Karen Lunny to judge
- ACTION: Karen—ask HS teachers at NAHS to judge
- ACTION: Karen—ask Bob Whelan to judge
- ACTION: Dan—ask Tom Wylie to judge
Teacher Award for Jeanne Caron—ACTION: Karen—reach out to Dave McGillivray to see if Jeanne Caron will come to
event
3. Poetry Contest Promotion
• Email to North Andover&Andover schools and past submitters
• Christa to cross post to her work website
• ACTION: Christa—make a flyer to post at stores & restaurants
• ACTION: Mark—order more yard signs
• ACTION: Karen—see if schools have an internal website to share contest announcement
• ACTION: Christa—setup Instagram account
4. Payment for website &signs
• $50 per PLC member requested (as you are able)
Mark to send transfer information
5. Anne Bradstreet Gratitude event on Common
• Saturday July 11, 2026—Common reserved 11AM—2PM
- following Saturday July 18 is rain date
• Karen's ideas for program
- Mass Poet Laureate Regie Gibson has committed to attend—at 1PM
• ACTION: Karen—ask Town if we can have food truck or ice cream truck at Common
6. Town of North Andover Line item created to fund Poetry Contest&events—how can we promote this?
• Fund Name: NA Poet Laureate Committee—Anne Bradstreet Fund
• ACTION: Mark—include fund notice in announcement email
7. Poetry Events
• Merrimack Poetry Anthology is still accepting poems
ACTION: Dan—send out submission link
• Poetry and Coffee—1st Saturday of the month at NA Historical Societ
• Purple Couch—Saturday February 21st Noon—Christa is hosting
8. Next Meeting
• February 2nd 7pm—Mark will see if we can host it all online