By Daniel Israel
Published November 21, 2024 at 5:38 PM
Last updated November 21, 2024 at 5:38 PM
Includes :
History
Comments from each City Council Member
Melida's Moving Acceptance Speech
"JERSEY CITY, NJ- Jersey City has appointed a new Poet Laureate, Melida Rodas. She will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027, serving as both an advocate for the literary arts and an ambassador of poetry. Prior to becoming Poet Laureate, Rodas was the first Inaugural Poet in 2013 when she recited her work “There in a City, OUR, Jersey City” for his Mayor Steven Fulop's inauguration.
Rodas-a widely published poet, essayist and public speaker who lives in Jersey City- succeeds Ann Wallace, a professor of English at New Jersey City University. Rodas, also an educator, curator, and multidisciplinary artist, becomes the fourth-ever Poet Laureate after Wallace.
She has a history of collaborating with local organizations on projects that celebrate the community, having cofounded the Greenville Arts Crossroads poetry and arts project to “connect, uplift, and inspire creative talent in Hudson County,” according to the resolution appointing her. In addition, she is also the Ward A Representative on the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund Committee, as well as a co-founder of the Jersey City Poetry Festival among other groups.
Includes :
History
Comments from each City Council Member
Melida's Moving Acceptance Speech