I know the suspense was killing you, so here's some relief.
As of last week, Indiana has a new poet laureate. He's Norbert Krapf, a St. Joseph's College grad with an M.A. from Notre Dame. His name is on 21 books as either author or editor, most recently "Bloodroot: Indiana Poems" (IU Press) and "The Ripest Moments: A Southern Indiana Childhood "(Indiana Historical Society Press).
He's also on disc: Krapf teamed with pianist Monika Herzig on CD "Imagine – Indiana in Music and Words."
You can read his poem "Ghost Road" here and "Arriving on Paumanok" here.
My only question: Why is the selection panel only made up of academics?
As of last week, Indiana has a new poet laureate. He's Norbert Krapf, a St. Joseph's College grad with an M.A. from Notre Dame. His name is on 21 books as either author or editor, most recently "Bloodroot: Indiana Poems" (IU Press) and "The Ripest Moments: A Southern Indiana Childhood "(Indiana Historical Society Press).
He's also on disc: Krapf teamed with pianist Monika Herzig on CD "Imagine – Indiana in Music and Words."
You can read his poem "Ghost Road" here and "Arriving on Paumanok" here.
My only question: Why is the selection panel only made up of academics?
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Perhaps the drive to include more poetry into our schools is why so many academics are involved.
Just a lighter take on poetry.
I thought the evening with Ice-T reciting Langston Hughes' Ask Your Mama sequence with the Ron McCurdy Quartet and the ISO was a great event and Monika and I were pleased to do a pre-show in the lobby with Tasha Jones and Carl Hines. The Kerouac evening with the energetic and vastly talented David Amram, who worked with JK in NYC in the 50s, was another great energy boost for all of us. I hope to keep the energy flowing and bring people from the arts together during my term as IPL.
About the selection committe: I'm not sure about this, but it may be that the law which made the IPL an ongoing position stipulated that a committee of academics (from universities and colleges) must make the selection. I loved teaching poetry (but rarely creative writing) for 37 years on the university level and directing a university poetry center for 18 years, but as a poet and as IPL I'm committed to bringing poetry beyond the classroom, where it always has and shall continue to live!
Folks interested in seeing photos from these and other coming events could find them at http://krapfpoetry.com/laureate.html. Thanks again for the notice!
Norbert Krapf
Joyce Brinkman
Indiana Poet Laureate 2002-08
While I believe those who invest their lives in the field of creative writing education are to be commended and are valuable as committee members, it certainly is possible to change the law and give other voices from other poetry circles the same role in the process. But short of that, everyone has the opportunity to nominate a fine poet for consideration and I hope all of your readers will do so next year. That being said, I think the committee can take great pride in selecting Norbert. He will serve with great distinction and will excell at sharing poetry with all of our citizens.
________
jackspar.
Indiana Drug Treatment
Thank you,
Rebecca