Provided by Bucks County Community College:
Credit: Bucks County Community College
The search is on for the 38th Bucks County Poet Laureate, according to Bucks County Community College professors Christopher Bursk and Charlie Groth, directors of the longest-running poet laureate program in Pennsylvania.
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Entrants must be a Bucks County resident over age 18 who has never previously served as poet laureate, explained Bursk, the 1978 poet laureate and a longtime professor at Bucks County Community College, which administers the program.
Each entrant must submit 10 original poems along with an entry form to the college’s Department of Language and Literature. Entries must be postmarked by Friday September 5, and received in the office by Tuesday September 9 at 4 p.m.
The winner of the competition will receive a $500 honorarium, a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and a reading at Bucks County Community College with 2013 Poet Laureate Alexa Gutter and contest runners-up.
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This year’s final judge is Kim Addonizio, the author of five poetry collections, two books on writing poetry, and a collection of stories. Addonizio’s work has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship, two NEA Fellowships, two Pushcart Prizes, and many other awards, and been translated into several languages.
The preliminary judge is Kasey Jueds, author of Keeper, winner of the 2012 Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press. Her poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, appeared in numerous publications, and has also been featured on Public Radio International’s “The Writer’s Almanac.”
There is no charge for entry. Poetry of any style, form, or length is welcome. All work must be original, published or unpublished, typewritten or word-processed on one side only in black ink.
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All entries must be accompanied by an entry form, which can be obtained online at http://bit.ly/buckscountylaureate, at libraries and bookstores throughout the county, or by contacting the Dept. of Language & Literature at 215-968-8151. Entries must be mailed or hand-delivered to BCCC Dept. of Language & Literature, 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940.
