Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Want to be the next N.C. poet laureate?


N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory has rankled poets across North Carolina with his selection of Valerie Macon of Fuquay-Varina as the state's new poet laureate. But where others see contro-verse-y, we see opportunity!

The beef among the literary community is two-fold. First, it's that Governor Pat bypassed the usual protocol of getting a recommendation from people who know best - a committee of the state's leading poets. Also, according to at least some of those people: Macon is, well, not good enough yet. "She is someone who is still learning," said Durham-based publisher Richard Krawiec, diplomatically, to the Observer this week. 

Clearly, the Gov has made a mistake here. If he was going to turn the poet laureate selection process into a joke, he should have selected someone from a group that writes poetry AS A JOKE. We're talking, of course, about the competitors in the Observer's Annual Politics and Public Policy Limericks contest! 

Our distinguished winners include the estimable John Long of Stanley, who wrote this year about the man arrested after sucking on a woman's toes at a Lincolnton Wal-Mart. 

Now I'm just an average Joe,
Don't care nothin' 'bout suckin' a toe.
But heaven forbid, 
If I ever did,
I think Wal-Mart's the LAST place I'd go. 

Alas, McCrory has made his poet laureate selection for the next two years. That doesn't mean you can't audition for 2016. In fact, we think a mid-year, unofficial politics and public policy limericks contest is in order. Give us your best limerick about the governor, the poet laureate contest or heck, anything happening in Raleigh right now. We need a laugh. 

Let's show Governor Pat what you can do - on deadline. Send your entries by Thursday at noon to pstonge@charlotteobserver.com, and we'll publish the best.

4 comments:

Scott said...

I can probably get it for a couple hundred thousand dollar campaign donation.

Ghoul said...

I'd say the Governor must be doing a great job if all the Observer can criticize him for is what poet he selected.

Get over yourself Pete, it an inconsequential job that means nothing.

amyo said...

I wouldn't say it's an inconsequential job--it's more of an award than a job, and awards should be merit-based. Certainly the community of writers in NC is well known, well-respected, and has a tradition of excellence. It's a slap in the face to those who are well-regarded among their peers and among poetry-lovers for someone who has SELF-PUBLISHED two books of poetry, and is still a poetry student, to be awarded such an honor. I'm sure she's a nice person, but having a good heart and espousing nice causes doesn't make you deserving of this kind of honor. She'd probably tell you so herself, being a nice person.

Unknown said...

Geez...get over it! The governor appointed someone without consulting them and now the highbrow counsel is offended. This was the process for only the last three appointments, it's not some long standing tradition that's hundreds of years old..."OMG Buffy! He didn't ask the counsel their opinion! How utterly rude..." (in your be Stewie Griffinvoice)