As the term of current Carrboro Poet Laureate Fred Joiner enters its final months, the town government is seeking applicants to take up the role.

The Town of Carrboro shared a release on Monday asking for applications to the position of poet laureate for a two-year term beginning on January 1, 2023. Joiner, who is the 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and is a Chapel Hill-Carrboro resident, began serving in the role in early 2019.

Fred Joiner is a poet and curator based in Chapel Hill, NC. He is 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and the current Poet Laureate for the Town of Carrboro.

Carrboro established its poet laureate program in 2002 to “enhance the presence of poetry in the social and civic life” of the town and its residents. The position, which receives an annual honorarium of $2,500, works with the Carrboro Poets Council and participates in readings at various town events. The town poet laureate does outreach to the local school district and plans the yearly West End Poetry Festival with the Carrboro’s Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department. Additionally, the poet often orchestrates and leads weekly poetry readings at the start of Carrboro Town Council meetings.

The Carrboro Arts Committee says residency in the town is preferable for candidates, but not required for the position. Applicants must, however, have a personal or professional connection to Carrboro.

Community members who are interested in applying for the Carrboro Poet Laureate role should be a poet with “little, some or substantial work published” and who have active projects in the last five years. Applications must include samples of original written works, limited to ten pieces or ten pages of poetry, plays, fiction, interviews and more.

Applications for the Carrboro Poet Laureate position can be found on the town government’s website, while anyone with questions regarding the application can email arts@carrboronc.gov or call 919-918-7377. The application period will close on Wednesday, August 31, with finalists for the role going through interviews in September and October.

 

Photo via the Town of Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Town of Carrboro Announces Dates and Lineups for Fall Arts Festivals
The schedule has been finalized for three popular arts festivals returning to Carrboro this fall. The Carrboro Music Festival will return for its opening night on Saturday, September 30 and a full day of outdoor concerts on Sunday, October 1. More than 100 acts will perform during the festival, and venues include Craftboro, Cat’s Cradle […]
Carrboro Selects New Poet Laureate
Bringing the presence of poetry to Carrboro is a responsibility that few people officially hold. The Arts Committee just selected local award-winning poet Gary Phillips as the new Poet Laureate of Carrboro, where his role is to do just that. “Carrboro is very fortunate to have had Gary selected to serve as our Poet Laureate […]
A Dactylic Affair: West End Poetry Festival
The West End Poetry Festival runs through Saturday.
Orange County Communities to Observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19. Here's How it Affects Services.
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Most town offices will be closed Monday. Residential trash normally collected Monday will be collected Wednesday, Jan. 21. Curbside recycling collection will […]
NCDOT Installing Pedestrian Infrastructure at 3 N.C. Highway 54 Intersections
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will partner with the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to install pedestrian and bicyclist improvements at three intersections along North Carolina Highway 54. NCDOT will begin work Monday, Feb. 2 to install crosswalks with traffic signals at the highway’s intersections with: The Kingswood Apartments complex in Chapel Hill […]
In Milestone Year, Carrboro Film Fest Moves to Drakeford Complex and Prepares for Stand-By Lines
Carrboro Film Fest is marking a major milestone this winter, as the locally organized and town-sponsored film festival enters its 20th year.
Local Scholar Amanda Bennett Named Town of Carrboro's 9th Poet Laureate
The Town of Carrboro has selected Amanda Bennett to be its ninth poet laureate. Described as “a poet, cultural critic, and public humanities practitioner,” in a release, Bennett will be the first Black woman to serve as the town’s poet laureate. Bennett is a scholar of Black feminism and is the author of “Working the […]
Orange County Communities to Interrupt Services for December Holidays (2025)
Communities around Orange County will interrupt their normal service schedules during the upcoming winter holidays. Here’s what customers can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Town of Chapel Hill government offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Residential trash collection will not be affected. Yard trimmings will not be collected on […]
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)
Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
Town Of Carrboro Selects John Fussa As New Planning Director
The Town of Carrboro announced it has selected a new planning director. John Fussa will take up the role in Dec. 2025.
›