After an abrupt end to the tenure of controversial poet laureate Nephtalí De León, the City of San Antonio has announced the search for a new poet to be its literary ambassador.
De León was appointed in March to a three-year term ending in 2026. However, after an Aug. 1 Facebook post in which he used a term considered racially derogatory, the 78-year-old poet was removed by the Department of Arts and Culture, which released a statement saying De León “posted a poem contrary to the City’s values and the role of City Poet Laureate.”
The removal of De León necessitated the search for a new poet laureate, to be selected in March, appointed in April with a public investiture ceremony in City Council chambers and asked to serve the 2024-2027 term.
Poets laureate are nominated by community peers who submit information including poetry samples, an additional letter of support and an outline of community involvement. De León was the sixth poet laureate, following Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, Octavio Quintanilla, Jenny Browne, Laurie Ann Guerrero and Carmen Tafolla.
In past years, laureate candidates were reviewed by a panel of nationally recognized poets from outside of San Antonio overseen by a local honorary chair. Panelists independently reviewed and scored nominees on four categories: poetic writings, publication and scholarly achievements, community involvement and merit.
One change to the process is the addition of past San Antonio poets laureate to the selection committee. The new guidelines emphasize the character of the nominee, who should “exhibit the highest level of character and professional integrity … possess the ability to respectfully collaborate with San Antonio’s network of writers and the broader community … [and] exemplify the spirit of Servant Leadership, focusing on the well-being of our community and its people, putting the needs of others first and helping our community develop and grow.”
Information on how to submit nominations is available on the Department of Arts and Culture website.
