HomeMy WebLinkAboutNorth Andover Poet Laureate Committee 2-18-22 North Andover Poet Laureate Committee Meeting Minutes
Friday, February 18, 2022 7:00 PM
1. Attending: Karen Kline,Chair, Bridget Rawding, member,Taylor Mace, member, Mark Bohrer Poet
Laureate. No quorum present.
2. Reading of opening poem—Mark Bohrer
After Dickinson
Poetry is best
done in private
out of the light
done in a dark room
then destroyed
but remembered
like the echo of light
when an eclipse burns
permanent on the eye
3. Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest
o Contest Theme—agreement on slight wording change:
• "Message in a Bottle: A Letter to the Future"
o Contest Rules were reviewed
• ACTION — Mark—send out contest rules for final review by PLC committee
o Finalize dates & announcement
• 2/27 Contest Announced
• 3/1 Contest Submissions Open
• 4/30 Contest Submissions Close
• 5/14 Winners Announced
• 5/21 AB Poetry Celebration on NA Common (rain date 5/22)
o Promotion
• Facebook— Mark
• Flyer— Mark—talk about distribution in stores at next meeting
• Schools
• NAPS- Mark- send to Principals &Ass't Principals (names from Greg Landry)
include Lorene Marx & Kristen Ando—CC to Greg Gilligan
• St Michaels & Brooks— Karen—ACTION —get contacts these schools
• Merrimack College— Bridget—forward to her contacts
• Street Signs -ACTION —Taylor—get prices on street signs for next meeting
• Then we need to fund raise to pay for these
• Instagram &Twitter—town accounts to announce? -ACTION -Taylor
o Request to help from NA school librarians - Lorene Marx, Ass't Superintendent for Teaching
and Learning email: marxl@nakl2.com
o Idea: at poetry celebration— have a table for people to vote on AB statue/memorial location
4. PLC recruiting efforts to fill last 2 open spots
o Karen—will contact Ed Wong
o Other ideas: teachers—maybe Jen Paradise, NAHS English department coordinator
5. Anne Bradstreet statue— Karen gave update
o Exploratory committee of 5 (Karen, Mark, Stan Limpert, Kathy Stevens, Mike Smolak)
o Discussing possible locations—library, near ABEEC, Common, other possible locations
o Very early in the process
6. NA Poets Corner activities & plans— Mark gave an update on NA Poets Corner monthly open mic and
plans for outdoor events this summer
7. Re-launch the junior poet laureate position(s) at the high school
o Mark and Karen are in contact with Jennifer Paradise Ed.D, English Department, NAHS
• paradisej@northandoverpublicschools.com
8. No other business- ideas on poetry &the arts in NA
9. Next meeting date : week of March 1st—Mark will send doodle poll
10. Closing poem (if time allows) (no poem read)
11. Adjournment 8:15 PM