Have a way with words?
Are you a versatile verse-writer?
Burien wants YOU!
A new ‘Poet-in-Residence’ for Burien will “explore and interact with the community during the fall of 2018, and then compose a work in response to their time in Burien,” according to an announcement. “Burien is a diverse and vibrant city. Poets with experience writing in languages other than English or working with translation are encouraged to apply.”
The written work is intended to be a reflection on Burien for the city’s 25th anniversary.
This new position is supported by an Arts Commission grant, and is being managed by Erin Williamson.

NOTE: The City of Burien is not involved in this project, other than providing a small portion of financial support through the City’s Arts & Culture grant. More information about the Arts & Culture funding is here: https://burienwa.gov/residents/resident_resources/grant_opportunities.

In the fall of 2018, the new Poet-in-Residence will decamp to Burien for a mini-residency. During their residency, the poet will stay in a picturesque writer’s cabin with a view of Puget Sound. While in Burien, the poet is expected to host an afternoon writing class dedicated to the poetry of place, interact with our community, and explore our streets. After their stay in Burien, the poet will write a poem in response to their experience in the community. The poem will be shared at with the City Council and become property of City of Burien.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 31, 2018.
Here are the details:

Introduction
With support from the City of Burien, a group of local residents seek a practicing poet for the city’s inaugural Poet-in-Residence program. The selected poet will explore and interact with the community during the fall of 2018 and then compose a work in response to their time in Burien. The written work is intended to be a reflection on Burien at the city’s twenty-fifth anniversary.
Burien is a vibrant and diverse city located along the Puget Sound, just south of Seattle. In the late 1800s, Burien was a tiny community of homesteads accessible only by trials from downtown Seattle. In the early 1900s, a ferry system known as the Mosquito Fleet brought visitors from Seattle to sunbathe and swim on beaches in Burien. Slowly the community grew until it was incorporated in 1993. Today Burien is home to 50,000 people from an array of cultures and ethnicities.
Project Background and Scope
In a community we often overlook what is all around us. We take a rutted route to the grocery store, greet our neighbors with the same hello each morning, and grouse over well-worn political opinions at our favorite bar. Through this familiarity it becomes possible to believe that our personal experience of a community is absolute and that we, individually, truly know our community best. With a grant from the City of Burien’s Arts Commission, the Poet-in-Residence Project seeks to augment individual views of Burien by bringing a fresh voice to our city’s conversations.
In the fall of 2018, the Poet-in-Residence will decamp to Burien for a mini-residency. During their residency, the poet will stay in a picturesque writer’s cabin with a view of Puget Sound. While in Burien, the poet is expected to host an afternoon writing class dedicated to the poetry of place, interact with our community, and explore our streets. After their stay in Burien, the poet will write a poem in response to their experience in the community. The poem will be shared at with the City Council and become property of City of Burien.
Links

Eligibility
This call in open to all practicing poets living in within reasonable commuting distance of Burien (a travel stipend is not included in the compensation).
Application Deadline & Timeline
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. (PST), Friday, August 31, 2018.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel and the selected poet notified on September 12, 2018. The residency and writing workshop will take place in late October, depending on the poet’s schedule.
Application Requirements
Please submit the following five items by email to [email protected] with “BurienPoetry” followed by your last name in the subject line.
Please send items 2-5 as PDF documents. Please do not send zip files or refer us to external file-share sites such as Dropbox.
Applications must include:

  1. An artist statement as a PDF or in the body of an email.
  2. A statement of interest in PDF format (not to exceed 2 pages). Please provide a non-generic statement describing your interest in this particular residency addressing:
    • Your experience leading workshops and/or a simple plan for teaching an open, community workshop
    • Information about how you would interact with the community during the residency
    • What you consider the role of poetry in civic life
  3. Work Samples. Each poet must submit representative samples from their body of work. You must include 4 poems and may include up to 8 poems.
  4. Résumé or CV in PDF format. No longer than two pages.
  5. Two References in PDF format. Names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers for two professional references who can speak to the quality of your work, your teaching or workshop experience, and your potential to succeed in this residency.

Selection Criteria
The artist will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • History of delivering successful workshops or success as an instructor
  • Quality of past work
  • Demonstration of commitment to the poetry of place
  • Demonstration of interest in poetry or literature as an important aspect of civic life

Burien is a diverse and vibrant city. Poets with experience writing in languages other than English or working with translation are encouraged to apply.
A selection panel will review the applications. The panelists will identify up to four finalists to be interviewed by phone. After the interview, the panel will select one poet to be awarded the residency commission.
Compensation
The selected poet will receive:

  • A cash stipend of $1300
  • (3) nights of accommodations for two during the residency Meals from local restaurants
  • Public reading opportunity

Questions
For questions, please contact Erin Williamson at [email protected].

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