Friday, January 30, 2026

Altadena Library District Seeks Two Poets Laureate to Lead 20-Year Literary Tradition

Applications due February 15 for volunteer positions that include fire-recovery poetry initiative

The Altadena Library District is searching for two poets to continue a literary tradition that began with a simple question at the reference desk more than two decades ago.

Applications are open through February 15 for the library’s 2026-2028 Poets Laureate—volunteer positions that require organizing readings, workshops, and the Altadena Literary Review publication. The roles come as current laureates Lester Graves Lennon and Sehba Sarwar finish a term that earned them 2025 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships and launched a poetry initiative to help residents heal from the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The program traces its origins to March 2003, when library patron Ralph Lane asked whether the library ever hosted poetry readings. That question led to the first Poetry & Cookies event, an annual anthology, and, in 2006, the appointment of Lane as the library’s first Poet Laureate. The tradition has continued uninterrupted since, with the Altadena Literary Review now featuring work from more than 120 poets and writers.

The library will appoint two laureates: a Poet Laureate for Community Events, who organizes at least one public program monthly and represents the program at venues throughout the community, and a Poet Laureate Editor in Chief, who manages submissions, selection, and publication for the online and print editions of the Altadena Literary Review. Both positions require 8 to 12 hours monthly for a two-year term running May 2026 through April 2028.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and live or work in Altadena, Pasadena, or the surrounding area. The Board of Trustees of the Altadena Library District makes the appointments.

To apply, candidates must submit an application letter with contact information, biography, and experience directing or curating readings, workshops, or community events. The letter must describe the applicant’s vision for the position and include any editorial or online publishing experience. Applicants must also submit a resume of no more than three pages and two one-page poems that represent their work.

Selection is based on the quality and appeal of the poetry, the applicant’s involvement in the Altadena, Pasadena, or broader poetry community, and proposed ideas for projects, workshops, and readings.

Applications must be sent via email to altadenapoetryreview@gmail.com by February 15. The library will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, sent to other email addresses, delivered by mail, or dropped off at library locations.

More information is available at altadenalibrary.org.