POETRY COALITION
PILOT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR FELLOWS
LETRAS LATINAS, a
founding member of the Poetry Coalition, is accepting applications for a paid
Poetry Coalition Fellowship position. This position is 20 hours per week from
September 5, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The stipend is $18,720 plus $1,000 toward
health care.
The Poetry Coalition is
a national alliance of more than 25 organizations dedicated to working together
to promote the value poets bring to our culture and the important contribution
poetry makes in the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. Members are
nonprofit organizations whose primary mission is to promote poets and poetry,
and/or multi-genre literary organizations that serve disabled poets and poets
of specific racial, ethnic, or gender identities, backgrounds, or communities.
All members present poets at live events. All members present poets at live
events. Each March, members present programming across the country on a theme
of social importance. The Poetry Coalition is coordinated by the Academy of
American Poets and we are grateful to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for its
support of this work.
The Poetry Coalition
Fellowship Program is a three-year pilot program. The goals of this are to
help:
- diversify the leadership of the
nonprofit literary field by encouraging more inclusion of individuals from
under-represented communities;
- develop future literary leaders
regardless of educational background;
- introduce the individuals who
are interested to nonprofit literary arts management, fundraising,
programming, and editorial work, providing experiences that will be useful
as they seek jobs and inspiring them to consider working in the literary
field; and
- increase the capacity of our
individual organizations by having additional assistance.
Paid fellowships will
not “level the playing field.” Opportunity in our country is not equally
distributed across ability, class, ethnic, gender, and racial lines. And we
alone cannot erase and undo the biases, barriers, discrimination, and prejudice
that exist in our country. But we hope poetry organizations can be out front in
building equity and inclusivity in literary arts organizations and
spaces.
2022-2023 POETRY COALITION FELLOW
POSITION DESCRIPTION
HOST ORGANIZATION MISSION:
Letras Latinas, the
literary initiative at the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS), strives to
enhance the visibility, appreciation and study of Latinx literature both on and
off the campus of the University of Notre Dame. We put an emphasis on programs
that support newer voices, foster a sense of community among writers, and place
Latinx writers in community spaces.
For more information
about Letras Latinas, visit:
https://latinostudies.nd.edu/news-events/letras-latinas/
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Poetry Coalition Programs & Communications position
supports the planning, publicizing, and carrying out of select initiatives,
including but not limited to: “Curated Conversation(s): A Latinx Poetry Show;” “Afro-Latinx Poetry Now;” and Letras Latinas Blog. Letras Latinas seeks someone who can think
creatively and collaboratively while also being able to work independently. An
ideal candidate will have substantive knowledge not only of contemporary poetry,
but also a particular interest in Latinx poetry. An ideal candidate will also
have some experience with literary programming, which could include: editing,
curating, event planning, as well as the skill set to deploy social media for the purpose of
amplifying a literary program. The Poetry Coalition Fellow in Programs & Communications
reports to the Director of Letras Latinas.
FELLOWSHIP LOCALE:
Although Letras Latinas
is part of the Institute for Latino Studies (ILS) at the University of Notre
Dame in South Bend, IN, the candidate is not required to be present on site.
But the candidate must be able to work remotely with reliable access to the
internet and phone, and be willing to do some Poetry Coalition and
Fellowship-related travel.
FELLOW RESPONSIBILITIES:
Committing to 20 hours
per week for the entire ten-month fellowship
Adhering to rules and policies of Letras Latinas as
appropriate
Assisting substantively with the following:
·
production of season 2
of “Curated Conversation(s): A Latinx Poetry Show.”
·
Content production and regular
writing for Letras Latinas Blog.
·
Assisting with “Afro-Latinx Poetry Now,” a mini-conference slated for the Fall of 2022.
·
General administration
- Assisting with the host
organization’s Poetry Coalition joint programming in March
- Attending and participating in
meetings
- Attending and participating in
monthly Zooms with other Poetry Coalition fellows and Academy staff to
foster community, professional development, and create a peer learning
group to learn about the following:
·
Community outreach
·
Marketing and promotion,
including materials development
·
Grant writing and/or
fundraising
·
Content production for
websites or social media
·
Programming and curating
live events, such as poetry readings and workshops
·
General administration
- Participating in the Poetry
Coalition’s fall convening and professional development trainings
- Completing evaluations at the
end of the fellowship year
FELLOW QUALIFICATIONS:
*Passion for poetry and/or
knowledge of contemporary poets, and interest in, Latinx poetry
*Interest in literary arts programming, administration, and
management
*Exceptional organizational skills and attention to details
*Ability to multi-task and chip away at more than one project at a
time
*Solid knowledge and experience with social media and information technology
*Being comfortable with regular, camera-on ZOOM consultations and check-ins
*Some experience with, and/or being willing to do, public speaking—such
as introducing writers
*Some graphic design skills
*Demonstrated experience in the areas listed above
For more
information about “Curated
Conversation(s): A Latinx Poetry Show,” please visit:
https://www.writer.org/curatedconversations/
Note: We welcome all
applicants, including those who are enrolled in or have recently graduated from
MFA programs in creative writing.
TO APPLY:
Please submit a cover
letter, resume, and names and contact information for 2-3 references to: faragon@nd.edu (please put in the subject line: “POETRY COALITION FELLOWSHIP”. No calls
please.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
The University of Notre
Dame is dedicated to equal employment opportunity and to the implementation of
positive programs designed to ensure the prevention of any discriminatory
practices, either intentional or inadvertent, with respect to race, color,
national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, age, or sex. The
University is completely committed to full compliance with the letter and
spirit of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246, the American
With Disabilities Act of 1990, the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act
of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other federal, state, and
local laws concerning equal opportunities.
For more information,
visit:
https://equity.nd.edu/equity-resources/equal-employment-opportunity/