News
November 21, 2008
Poet Jaki Shelton Green Selected As First Piedmont Laureate
Highly acclaimed Orange County poet Jaki Shelton Green has been selected as the region's first Piedmont Laureate under the newly created Piedmont Laureate program.
The Piedmont Laureate program is dedicated to building a literary bridge for residents to come together and celebrate the art of writing. Co-sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Durham Arts Council, Orange County Arts Commission, and United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, the program’s key goal is to: “promote awareness and heighten appreciation for excellence in the literary arts throughout the Piedmont region.”
 Ms. Green’s publications include “Dead on Arrival,” “Masks,” “Conjure Blues,” and “breath of the song,” which was cited as one of two Best Poetry Books of the Year by the Independent Weekly. Her poems have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including Ms. Magazine, Essence, The Crucible, and Obsidian and she has performed her poetry and taught writing workshops throughout the United States, Caribbean, Europe, Central and South America. Her poetry has also been choreographed by groups such as African American Dance Ensemble, Two Near the Edge, and the ChoreoCollective, and awards include the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2003, 2006 Artist in Residence at the Taller Portobelo Artist Colony, and the 2007 recipient of the Sam Ragan Award.
“I applied to be the first Laureate because I am so excited about utilizing the fervor akin to an evangelist to facilitate a ‘movement’ that fosters a greater appreciation of the literary arts,” Ms. Green said. “During my tenure, it is my intention to identify and interface with the numerous community based organizations that are engaged already with literary programs and hopefully collaborate on strengthening their efforts and assisting them with strategies that will enlarge and sustain their projects.”
In his letter of support for Ms. Green’s application, Joseph Bathanti, professor of creative writing at Appalachian State University, wrote: “ I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jaki in action (the operative word for her dynamism).... Her readings are electrifying. She is a presence at the podium, a meld of panache and humility that embraces every audience… She is North Carolina poetry’s Billie Holiday…”
For being named the Piedmont Laureate, Ms. Green will receive an honorarium of $5,000 and serve for one year. Her duties will include presenting public readings and workshops, participating at select public functions, and creating at least one original activity to expand appreciation of literature. A schedule of the Laureate’s 2009 activities will be posted on the sponsoring agency websites in December.
Applications for the laureate position were received from a three-county area. A selection committee comprised of Dr. Anjail Rashida Ahmad, director of the creative writing program at North Carolina A&T State University; Dr. Sally Buckner, an author and editor; Richard Krawiec, also an author and editor; Banu Valladares, cARTwheels manager at the North Carolina Arts Council; and sponsoring agency representatives reviewed all the applications and made recommendations.
For more information about the Piedmont Laureate program, contact June Guralnick, executive director of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, at june.guralnick@ci.raleigh.nc.us or call 996-3610.
Prepared by:
John Boyette
Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
June Guralnick
Arts Commission, Executive Director
City Manager Department
222 West Hargett Street, Room 504
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-996-4685
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