Contemporary Authors
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California Poet Laureate The California Poet Laureate is a Governor's appointee whose mission is to advocate for the art of poetry in classrooms and boardrooms across the state, to inspire an emerging generation of literary artists, and to educate all Californians about the many poets and authors who have influenced our great state through creative literary expression. Over the course of a two-year term, the Poet Laureate provides public readings in urban and rural locations across California, educates civic and state leaders about the value of poetry and creative expression, and undertakes a significant cultural project, with one of its goals being to bring poetry to students who might otherwise have little opportunity to be exposed.
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U.S. Poet Laureate The highest poetry office in the country belongs—both literally and symbolically—to the U.S. Poet Laureate. Headquartered at the Library's Poetry Office in the attic of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the poet laureateship is the primary national position dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation of poetry among the American public. The Library of Congress is in the process of developing research guides for each U.S. Poet Laureate (1986-present) and Consultant in Poetry (1937-1985) to the Library of Congress. Each guide offers an overview of the activities of the poet laureate during his or her tenure, and provides access to press releases, webcasts, blog posts, and a wealth of other resources through the Library's website and elsewhere on Web documenting the laureate's work. To facilitate research on each laureate at the Library of Congress and through other libraries, each guide also includes a bibliography of each poet's works and suggestions for locating scholarship on each laureate's life and writing. Guides currently available are linked below; new guides will be added upon completion.
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Santa Clara County Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate post was approved by the Board of Supervisors in November 2008 to elevate poetry among Santa Clara County residents and to help celebrate the literary arts. The Poet Laureate acts as a resource for poetry and literary activities to the Santa Clara County Library District, represents the County of Santa Clara through outreach related to poetry, conducts presentations of appropriate works at local events, and participates at activities to celebrate Poetry Month in April.
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Project Gutenberg Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for you to enjoy.