Shelby Stephenson ends month-long poet laureate drama

Shelby Stephenson doesn’t see himself as a poet.

“A poet? That’s a strong word. I never use that,” he said. “I don’t really try to write poems.”

But last month Stephenson received a phone call from North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory saying he was selected as North Carolina’s new poet laureate.

Stephenson, who graduated from UNC in 1960, is the state’s ninth poet laureate, selected after Valerie Macon resigned from the position just one week after her appointment drew criticism from the arts community across the state.

Susan Kluttz, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, led the selection and said McCrory did not use the typical, rigorous process to appoint this state-funded position when he selected Macon in July.

McCrory chose Macon himself rather than using a selection committee.

“The governor’s office was not aware of the traditional process (in the summer),” Kluttz said.

To remedy the controversy surrounding the prestigious title, McCrory personally appointed Kluttz to lead the correct selection process. Kluttz said she made it a personal priority to organize a group within the arts council, as well as library and history departments at the NCDCR, in attempt to satisfy the various groups that had been upset by the previous decision.

A panel of six literary professionals — Anthony Abbott, Robert Anthony, Kevin Watson, Randall Kenan, Lorraine Robinson and Carolyn York — came together to nominate 40 poets for the position of N. C. Poet Laureate.

Of the 40 poets, three were selected and reccommended to McCrory based on five qualification standards: the nominee must be a North Carolina resident, have a cultural connection to the state, uphold literary excellence, influence other writers and maintain a level of diversity and have an ability and willingness to engage the public.

Watson, a member of the selection committee and a colleague of Stephenson, believes Stephenson goes beyond meeting all of the selection criteria.

“I think he has the reputation, with many years as working as a poet, as a teacher and as an educator,” Watson said. “He represents the literary history of North Carolina.”

In spite of the selection problems this summer, Watson said he believes the final selection was effective.

“Once we got past the fiasco that ensued earlier and it was handed back over to the arts council, the governor was very gracious and it worked out beautifully.”

After organizing and overseeing the entire selection process from nominations through decision, Kluttz believes Stephenson was the best choice to represent North Carolina.

“I’m thrilled with the selection,” she said. “I truly think Stephenson is a North Carolina treasure.”

Stephenson, whose son calls his new position as poet laureate “The Mouth of the South,” is equally thrilled.

As laureate, Stephenson plans to go into assisted living places and nursing homes, work with Future Farmers of America groups and give back to the land through writing and writing workshops.

He wants to give back to the North Carolina that made him the writer he is today.

“It’s such a beautiful world to be a part of.”

arts@dailytarheel.com