Maine Arts Commission Opens Call for Next State Poet Laureate
- October 07, 2025
Open Call for Next State Poet Laureate
Term: Five-year appointment begins July 2026
Application Deadline: December 5, 2025 (5:00 p.m.)
AUGUSTA, ME — The Maine Arts Commission invites poets across the state to apply for appointment as the next Maine State Poet Laureate. The selected poet will serve a five-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and concluding June 30, 2031.
Established by statute in 1995, the Poet Laureate program honors a distinguished Maine poet and promotes the art of poetry throughout the state. The laureate is charged with advancing public appreciation for poetry through community engagement, events, and projects, as well as supporting the Commission’s administration of the national Poetry Out Loud program.
The position includes a contracted honorarium of $5,000 per year for five years, administered annually by the Maine Arts Commission. The honorarium is provided in lieu of mileage reimbursement. Administrative support is provided by the Maine Arts Commission Program Director and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.
Application Guidelines
Eligible applicants must be full-time Maine residents with a distinguished body of poetic work. Applications must be submitted no later than December 5, 2025 and include:
- A CV or résumé
- 8–10 pages of poetry (published or unpublished)
- A one-page statement outlining a vision for the public role of Poet Laureate, including any specific project proposals
Past Poet Laureate Projects:
Former Maine Poets Laureate have developed projects that have reached thousands of Mainers across the state:
- Julia Bouwsma’s Write ME: a statewide epistolary poetry initiative featuring poets in all 16 counties, more than 20 free public workshops, and a pen-pal exchange connecting 300 poets during the winters of 2023–24 and 2024–25.
- Poems from Here: launched by Stuart Kestenbaum in partnership with Maine Public and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, this ongoing series features weekly broadcasts of poems by Maine poets.
- Wesley McNair’s Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry: a weekly newspaper column produced in collaboration with the Maine State Library and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, along with several statewide poetry projects.
Since the inception of the position, Maine’s poet laureates have included:
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Contact Information
Khristina Kurasz
32 Blossom LaneSHS 25
Augusta ME 04333
2072872713
vog.eniam@zsaruk.anitsirhk