Former Poets Laureate
| Esther Buffler | Robert Dunn | Maren Tirabassi | John Perrault | Mimi White | Elizabeth Knies |
| John-Michael Albert | ||
What a Poet Laureate does: |
John-Michael Albert's website
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Mark DeCarteret |
Mark DeCarteret, Portsmouth's seventh poet laureate, has had work in such reviews as AGNI, Boston Review, Chicago Review, Conduit, Cream City Review, failbetter, Hotel Amerika, Phoebe, Poetry East, Salamander, Sonora Review, and Third Coast, as well as the anthologies American Poetry: The Next Generation (Carnegie Mellon Press), Places of Passage: Contemporary Catholic Poetry (Story Line Press), Thus Spake the Corpse: An Exquisite Corpse Reader 1988-1998 (Black Sparrow Press) and Under the Legislature of Stars: 62 New Hampshire Poets (Oyster River Press) which he also co-edited. His latest chapbook Flap will be published by Finishing Line Press in spring 2011.
Mark's acceptance remarks |
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| Elizabeth Knies, sixth poet laureate, is
the author of The New Year and Other Poems; Streets After Rain; From the
Window; and White Peonies. She taught ESL, writing, critical thinking
and literature in New Hampshire, Maine, Japan, Missouri, Colorado and
Massachusetts, and has worked as a reviewer and an editor. Her most
enduring literary connection is with the Skimmilk Farm poets,
commemorated in Ken Browne’s documentary, “Mondays at Skimmilk: 30 Years
of Writers at Work.” Read
one of Elizabeth's poems |
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Mimi White, poet and teacher, was poet laureate from 2005-2007. She has been working for over twenty-five years with students of all ages to help them create original and authentic work, be it poetry, memoir or non fiction writing. Mimi White has worked in a variety of settings including schools, libraries, prisons, residencies for the elderly, and universities. She has been a member of the faculty at the University of New Hampshire, Northern Essex Community College, and Lesley University. Her poems have been published in dozens of journals. They include Poetry, Harvard Review, West Branch, The Seattle Review, Yankee and Rivendell. Her book of poems, "The Last Island" was published in 2008.
Read some of Mimi White's poetry |
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John's project as poet laureate was to pair artists and poets to create a combined work, displayed in various public locations in Portsmouth. Find out where here. |
John Perrault practices law, teaches
literature, and writes. His The Ballad of Louis Wagner and other New England Stories in Verse,
published by Peter Randall, is being distributed by University Press of
John’s poetry has appeared in The Café Review, The Christian Science Monitor, Commonweal,
Poet Lore and elsewhere. His new collection of poems, Here Comes the Old Man Now, is published by
River Press. He was poet laureate of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 2003-2005. John is available for readings, concerts, and writing workshops. He also presents a ballad program for libraries, historical societies, schools and other non-profit organizations through the New Hampshire Humanities Council entitled "The Ballad Lives." For information, please go to www.nhhc.org -type in "John Perrault" and follow the links. He is also on the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Touring Roster. Go to www.nh.gov/nharts -click on "arts & artists" and follow links. John's website is at www.johnperrault.com He may be contacted directly at rockweed@comcast.net |
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all night he labors |
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Maren C. Tirabassi is author or editor of eleven books. New this
year are Daybook For New Voices with her daughter Maria I.
Tirabassi, Transgendering Faith - Identity, Sexuality and
Spirituality with Leanne McCall Tigert and The Artist's Hand
a book and CD collaboration with singer/songwriter Bryan Sirchio.
Celebrating its “first anniversary” is the holiday spoken word CD --
Sticky Mittens and Angel Feet with Yankee humorists Neil English and
Rebecca Rule. Portsmouth Poet Laureate from 2001-2003 her first project was the book Portsmouth Unabridged - New Poems for an Old City which boasted more than ninety local poets from age nine to one hundred. Her second year she ran a “Humor in Poetry”’ festival. Maren teaches poetry in a wide range of settings and travels as a facilitator for United Church of Christ (Congregational) workshops and conferences. |
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| Bang and Spangle in
Portsmouth
This
fourth of July |
by Maren C. Tirabassi
I find my place on the hill |
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One of Robert's undertakings as poet laureate was to bring poems out into the street and we can now enjoy various works around the city and in the parking garage. In 1997, during his tenure, the Poetry Hoot was born. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Robert says he is "an apple picker, currently celebrating his salad days."
He recently
published I
Hear America Singing. |
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| Rumors
I hear you can tell the trees apart |
Robert Dunn Links "Our Friend," in honor of Robert Dunn
Obama
letter arrived days
after
Portsmouth
Robert E. Dunn obituary, Sept. 3, Portsmouth Herald
"Portsmouth loses
one of its voices,"
Sept.
"So long, brilliant Penny Poet," Sept. 7, Seacoast Sunday
"Remembering Robert Dunn," Sept. 10, The Wire
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Esther came to poetry later in life from a long career in story telling and professional theater. She devoted the last 25 years of her life to writing, teaching and sharing her talents in New Hampshire. She staged a touring production about American women poets, was poet in residence at star island and promoted poetry in local schools. She published five collections of poetry including Only Now. She produced the audio CD compilation "High on Poetry with Esther Buffler and Friends" highlighting the best of the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program of 1998. Her last book, It's All Ahead, is published by Phineas Press and is available at RiverRun book store. Esther died in August, 2002 at the age of 93. Currently a fund in her memory supports an annual poetry residence in the Portsmouth schools. |
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