Fiscal Note
No appropriation required
Title
Proclaiming Oscar Mireles as Madison's next Poet Laureate.
Body
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles has lived, worked, and positively contributed to Madison for the last 21 years; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles is widely recognized for his community service and has received numerous awards acknowledging his work including the Dane County Martin Luther King Jr. Award (2009), Wisconsin Literacy's Literacy Advocate of the Year (2011), Friend of Education Award from Wisconsin State Superintendent Tony Evers (2012), and an award from the Young Professional Group of the Urban League of Greater Madison (2013); and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles is a prolific poet with over one hundred poems published in anthologies, books and magazines; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles has been the editor of three volumes of anthologies, entitled "I Didn't Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin," which features dozens of Madison-based poets and writers; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles has shared his work throughout the City with a diversity of audiences including Madison's Common Council, Wisconsin Book Festival, WORT radio, Overture Center for the Arts, UW Madison, Edgewood College, Rainbow Bookstore, Madison Area Technical College, and the Madison Metropolitan School District; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles is committed to preserving the legacy of past Madison Poets Laureate by continuing to support the programs they created; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mireles's vision for the program includes encouraging more poetry in the public schools, initiating a community discussion about what poetry really is, and helping people find their own poetic voice; and
WHEREAS, the Madison Arts Commission enthusiastically supports the nomination of Oscar Mireles as the next Poet Laureate of Madison;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Madison, Wisconsin does hereby name Oscar Mireles Madison Poet Laureate effective January 21, 2016.