Selection Panel Names Two Prince William Poet Laureates

The announcement was made by Guy Lambert live on WPGC 95.5 on Saturday, June 14 at the culmination of the “Poetry & Jazz on the Lake” event, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Tackett’s Mill Lakeside, 2228 Tackett's Mill Drive, Lake Ridge, Virginia.

According to the 11-member selection panel, both candidates simply blew them away with their individual creative strengths. For Dr. Scott, it was the project he proposed: using a website, a series of community seminars and a great deal of pavement pounding, Dr. Scott plans to encourage budding and seasoned Prince William poets to submit poems for inclusion into a permanent “10,000 poem exhibit.”

For Zan Hailey, it was the power of her submitted poems, such as “Around the Yellow House.” Though still a college student, Zan has already published her work, garnered an award, mentored young writers through the Northern Virginia Writing Project and even created an on-line collection of poetry from all over, using Band-Aids® as a prompt. She is a graduate of the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Woodbridge Senior High School.

Around the Yellow House

The train passes—a heavy

heart—beating down the tracks.

A U-turning rickety pick-up,

matte black finish—brings dogs

to a bark across the block.

Afternoon planes fly—streaking contrails

that connect cumulonimbus clouds.

And a letter from an uncensored inmate

was left in my mailbox while I was out

walking a fuchsia petaled path,

where wild Dogwoods fade pink

with the gold of magnolias,

leaving a perfume alley trail.

A squirrel bats its tail like a duster

on a bookshelf—take in the day.

Open it slow—pocketknife blade

soundly tearing a slit—“Dear Wonderful.”

©2014 Zan Hailey

 
“The selection of Alexandra Hailey and Robert Scott speaks highly of the quality of education offered in Prince William County Public Schools,” said Eric Pankey, poet, professor of English and Heritage Chair in Writing, George Mason University who served on the selection panel along withpoets Alirio Aleman and LeeAnn Thomas, business leaders Carlos Castro, Marie Khalili Nasiri and Mark Shaaber, teachers Alice Mergler and Cathy Hailey, library system director Dr. Constance Gilman, Sergeant Major Michael Mack, Wounded Warrior Regiment, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and high school student Lindsey Barszcz.

In fact, seven of the 14 poet laureate nominees are current or past teachers or students in the Prince William County Public School system. The 12 other poets will now form a Prince William Poet Laureate Circle to assist in joint community poetry projects. They are:

1.      Phebe Ciemny, Woodbridge: student, Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Woodbridge Senior High School

2.      Joe De Cesare, Woodbridge: marketing assistant, Fort Belvoir Federal Credit Union & stagehand, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas

3.      Brittany Crow, Woodbridge: student, Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Woodbridge Senior High School

4.      Melody Lane Ashtara De Furia, Manassas: Northern Virginia Community College, Woodbridge Campus Business Office

5.      John Dutton, Woodbridge: Language Arts teacher, Beville Middle School

6.      Paulette Garner, Manassas: Language Arts teacher, Parkside Middle School

7.      Katherine Gotthardt, Bristow: author, editor, blog and website developer

8.      Neil Hailey, Manassas: student, Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Woodbridge Senior High School

9.      Bennie Herron, Manassas: educator

10.  Dora Muhammad, Woodbridge: author, editor and performer

11.  Renee Ordoobadi, Bristow: student, Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Woodbridge Senior High School

12.  Heather Stevens, Manassas: author, artist and performer

As Prince William Poet Laureates, Scott and Hailey each will receive an annual honorarium of $500 from The Clearbrook Foundation, a non-profit soon to be taking space at the Tackett’s Mill Center. Each will participate in selected public gatherings in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park. In their first joint decision, the laureates invited WSHS student Lindsey Barszcz, who served on the selection panel, to join the Prince William PoetLaureate Circle.

For continuing information on the Prince William Poet Laureate program, visit the Prince William County Arts Council website at www.pwcartscouncil.org and click on “literary arts.”