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St. Louis Poet Laureate Task Force welcomes two new members, plans ordinance revisions to seek funding
Summary
At a brief May 4 meeting the St. Louis Poet Laureate Task Force introduced new members Kyle Brandt Lubart and Imani Wentz and agreed to begin drafting ordinance language to pursue budget support for the poet laureate position, members said.
The St. Louis Poet Laureate Task Force welcomed two new members and said it will begin drafting ordinance language to pursue budget support for the poet laureate role, members said at a short meeting on Monday, May 4.
Chair Mick, who opened the meeting at 4:25 p.m., said the task force will use the next month to form small workstreams and draft language "to address head on the funding need" so the expanded scope of the role can be reflected in the ordinance. "We wanna make sure that the ordinance is in support of that expanded scope," the chair said.
New members introduced themselves. Kyle Brandt Lubart described themself as "an integrative mental health provider and community arts organizer" who runs Tiny Postcards Counseling and Creative Arts in Dutchtown and hosts a long-running poetry open mic. Lubart said they hope to "make some of these avenues of support for the poet laureate role more robust so that there can be more of a widespread impact in the community."
Imani Wentz said she was born and raised in St. Louis and founded the Noir Bookshop on Cherokee Street. Wentz detailed efforts to increase access to books, including a free book vending machine at the Harvard Hoover Boys and Girls Club, and emphasized connecting the poet laureate with community storytelling. "I'm very interested in community storytelling and hopefully connecting our esteemed poet laureate... with no strings attached," she said, adding that it is important that the city have a Black woman as poet laureate.
Longtime task force member Pam Garvey, who teaches in the English department at St. Louis Community College, described the post's origins after events in Ferguson and said the position historically had little or no budget. "It doesn't have a budget or anything," she said, noting the group's goal is to provide more support to the poet laureate.
Christine, the staff member handling logistics, asked new members to send a photo, a short bio and a mailing address for the task force website and records. The group agreed to meet on the first Monday of the month at 4 p.m., based on a scheduling survey. The chair said he will follow up with members individually to set workstream meetings.
There was no formal business beyond onboarding and planning. The chair moved to adjourn at 4:38 p.m.; Pam Garvey seconded. After a voice vote in which Garvey verbally said "Aye," the chair declared "the ayes have it" and adjourned the meeting. The chair said he will circulate minutes afterward.
