James Morehead to Serve Second Term as Poet Laureate for Dublin, California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 7, 2023

DUBLIN, CA–At the February 7, 2023 City of Dublin Council Meeting, the Council voted to confirm the selection of James Morehead as the City of Dublin’s Poet Laureate for a second term starting February 8, 2023 and running through December 31, 2024.

On January 12, 2023 the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission reviewed applications and invited each applicant to read an original poem. Following deliberation, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend to Mayor Melissa Hernandez that Morehead continue to serve as the City of Dublin Poet Laureate. The Mayor concurred with this recommendation.

During the February 7 City Council Meeting, Morehead shared the following:

“Mayor Hernandez, City Council and staff, and Dublin residents, I’m thrilled for the opportunity to continue serving as your Poet Laureate.

“In my first term I had the honor of creating poems celebrating Dublin’s 40th anniversary, our veterans, and the opening of the Don Biddle Community Park. At Splatter, “Poets Take the Mic” has featured local poets. Nine “Poetry & Pizza Open Mic” events were held at Patxi’s Pizza, providing a safe space for local poets to share their voices. A tenth Poetry & Pizza is scheduled for Wednesday March 15 at 6pm.

“Last year we held Dublin’s first Poetry Walk during National Poetry Month, featuring original poems by 26 poets, in 25 locations across Dublin. The event will return in April.

“I represented Dublin at the Patagonia Poet Laureate Celebration, featuring six Bay Area poets laureate, at Patagonia’s flagship store in San Francisco. I also represented Dublin on the SF Chronicle TotalSF podcast, NPR’s Poetically Yours podcast, and at multiple Tri-Valley events.

“In my second term, I’ll bring poetry events into our schools and the Senior Center. I’m excited to announce that Dublin High School will host the Poetry Out Loud reciting competition in 2024 and I’ll be presenting the Art of Poetry in multiple DHS English classes this semester. At the Senior Center, I will be hosting a new workshop ‘Unlocking Memories with Memoir Poems’, this Spring. I’m also exploring bringing a Haiku Festival to our middle and elementary schools, modeled after a long-running event in Chicago.

“I look forward to collaborating with the City of Dublin staff. Their support has been crucial to the success of this program.”

James Morehead has published two collections of poetry: “canvas” and “portraits of red and gray”, and has a third collection, “The Plague Doctor”, coming out in 2023. James’ poem “tethered” was transformed into an award-winning hand drawn animated short film, “dissolving in the gallery” was set to music for baritone and piano, and his poems have appeared on NPR, SF Chronicle’s Total SF, Ignatian Literary Magazine, Cathexis Northwest Press, Beyond Words Magazine, Wingless Dreamer, Prometheus Dreaming, and others. He also hosts the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast which features interviews with poets and artists. “James Morehead’s imagery is vivid, spare and elemental, and it is consistently chosen and arranged to achieve intensely poetic effects. The rhythmic control is impeccable.” – Carmine Di Biase, Distinguished Professor of English, Emeritus – Jacksonville State University

In 2007, Dublin City Council approved the creation of the honorary volunteer position of Poet Laureate with the first volunteer appointed to the position in 2008. Duties of the Poet Laureate include:

• Create and read poetry for civic events, public ceremonies, and dedications, as coordinated through City Staff.
• Serve as a resource to Staff, the City Council, and the Commission; may act as a liaison between the City and local schools, literary organizations, and bookstores.
• Assist with the development of classes and workshops devoted to poetry; potentially coordinate and participate in staged poetry readings.
• On an annual basis, have at least one original poem displayed in a City facility.

James Morehead can be reached at dublinpoetlaureate@gmail.com.