Meet Salt Lake City's first poet laureate, Joel Long
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Joel Long. Photo: Courtesy of Salt Lake City Arts Council
Joel Long, a creative writing and English high school teacher, has been named Salt Lake City's first poet laureate.
The big picture: Long will serve as a cultural ambassador for the city, writing original poetry about civic life, developing programming and leading public readings in the city's seven council districts.
- He's been a prominent figure in the state's literary circles and was encouraged to apply for the new position by friends and family.
Catch up quick: The Salt Lake City Arts Council and the mayor's office began their search in April and received about 20 applications.
What they're saying: Speaking with Axios Wednesday in front of his ninth grade creative writing class at Rowland Hall, where he's taught in the same classroom for the past 23 years, Long said his goal is to make poetry visible across the city.
- That means placing poetry in high-traffic areas where people wait, such as electronic billboards, parks, bus stops and grocery store checkout lines, Long says.
- While Long hasn't determined what he's going to write about yet, he aims to find the "miraculousness" in everyday life and hopes to engage with residents of all ages.
- "Being able to represent [the city] is such an honor to me, and it's a culmination of 40 years of writing," he says.
Zoom in: Long specializes in lyric poems and free verse, focusing on the rhythm and sound of each line.
- His influences include poets Pureza Canelo, Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver.
Flashback: Long grew up in Montana and moved to Salt Lake City in 1990 to attend graduate school at the University of Utah.
- He says he studied under Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mark Strand, a former U.S. poet laureate who taught at the school.
What's next: Long will serve through June 2029.