<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><h3 class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS; text-align: center;"><span class="" style="font-size: 20px;">Step Forward to Nominate or Be the First Poet Laureate of Mendocino County</span></h3><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="3" class="">The Mendocino County Poet Laureate Committee is currently seeking nominations for the first Poet Laureate of Mendocino County. </font></p><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="4" class=""><em class=""><strong class="">The deadline for nominations is February 29th</strong></em>. Nominees will need to submit applications in March and be interviewed in April.</font></p><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="3" class="">This is an official honorary position in which the Poet Laureate will serve for a term of 2 years. The Poet Laureate would be expected to appear at some public functions, and hopefully engage with not only the poetry community but the broader literary, Arts, political, and educational communities. How the Poet Laureate will do this will be defined by that person’s own creative process.</font></p><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="3" class="">For more information on how to apply or nominate for this position go to <a href="http://mendocinopoetlaureate.mymcn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class=""><strong class="">http://mendocinopoetlaureate.mymcn.org</strong></a>. <em class="">(If you do not have access to the internet you can send snail mail to: Mendocino County Poet Laureate Program, P.O. Box 67, Willits, CA, 95490.) </em></font></p><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="3" class="">Anyone living in Mendocino County can nominate a potential Poet Laureate and a poet can nominate herself or himself. Some of you may not know that we already have a Youth Poet Laureate in Mendocino County. The Poet Laureate Committee believes that Mendocino County also deserves to have an adult Poet Laureate and that the establishment of this position will help enhance the art of poetry making here and inspire all of our citizens about the value and joy of creative literary expression.</font></p><p class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;"><font size="3" class=""><strong class="">Mendocino County Poet Laureate Program</strong><br class=""><strong class="">media contact: Kirk Lumpkin, <a href="mailto:kirk@twinberry.net" class="">kirk@twinberry.net</a>, (707) 621-3215</strong></font></p><div class="" style="font-family: ArialUnicodeMS;">___________________________________________________________</div></body></html>