BILL ANALYSIS
Bill No: AB
113
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Edward Vincent, Chair
2001-2002 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 113 Author: Pavley
As Amended: April 5, 2001
Hearing Date: June 19, 2001
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
California Poet Laureate
DESCRIPTION
AB 113 establishes a statutory process for appointing the
position of California Poet Laureate. Specifically, this
measure:
1. Creates the position of California Poet Laureate to be
appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees gleaned
by the California Arts Council through a specified
process. The Poet Laureate will serve a 2-year term,
with the stipulation that no Laureate can serve more than
two terms.
2. Provides that each nominee must have resided in
California for at least 10 years and be a published poet
of stature.
3. Stipulates that, as a condition of appointment, the
Poet Laureate must: (a) provide a minimum of six public
readings; (b) undertake a full-term project to bring the
poetic arts to individuals who have little opportunity to
be exposed to poetry; and, (c) assume other reasonable
activities.
4. Authorizes the Arts Council to establish a stipend for
the Poet Laureate and provide for related expenses, as
specified.
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5. Requires the Arts Council, beginning in 2010 and every
10 years thereafter, to publish an anthology of the work
of the poets laureate of the past decade.
6. Permits the Arts Council to solicit and receive gifts,
donations, grants or other funds from public or private
sources for purposes of this bill.
EXISTING LAW
There is no current law that establishes the position of
and procedure for appointing a state Poet Laureate.
The Dixon-Zenovich-Maddy California Arts Council Act of
1975 created an Arts Council consisting of 11-members who
serve four-year staggered terms. 9-members are appointed
by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation, and the
Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules
appoint one member each.
The Arts Council was created to encourage artistic
awareness, participation, and expression; to help
independent local groups develop their own arts programs;
to promote employment of artists and those skilled in
crafts in the public and private sector; to provide for
exhibition of artistic works in public buildings; and, to
enlist the aid of all state agencies in the task of
ensuring the fullest expression of artistic potential.
PRIOR LEGISLATION
AB 1385 (Chacon) 1983-84 Session. Would have created the
honorary position of Poet Laureate of California to be
conferred by the Arts Council. Also, would in effect have
retired the state's existing Poet Laureate (Charles
Garrigus) and allowed him to receive the title of Poet
Laureate Emeritus. (Failed passage in this committee in
July of 1983, on a vote of 3 - 5)
BACKGROUND
Brief History: The honorary title of Poet Laureate is an
outgrowth of a Middle Ages English custom of having
versifiers and minstrels in the king's retinue. The title
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of Poet Laureate was awarded to those who were skilled in
verse - in later times the custom arose of crowning
distinguished men of letters with the title. The term
laureate is derived from the Latin word laurea (laurel); in
ancient times the laurel wreath was sacred to Apollo, the
Greek god of poetry and music. In Britain, the poet
laureate is named by the sovereign as a member of the royal
household and is charged with the preparation of suitable
versus for court and state occasions.
In the United States, the position of Poet Laureate has
existed under two separate titles: from 1937 to 1986 as
"Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" and from
1986 to the present as "Poet Laureate Consultant in
Poetry." The name was changed by an act of Congress in
1985. The Poet Laureate is appointed annually by the
Librarian of Congress, serves from October to May, and
receives a $35,000 annual stipend funded by a gift from a
private donor. In making the appointment, the Librarian
consults with former appointees, the current Laureate and
poetry critics. The Laureate is required to give an annual
lecture and reading of his/her poetry.
In California, there have been five persons upon whom the
Legislature has conferred the honorary title of Poet
Laureate. The state's first Poet Laureate, Ina Coolbrith,
was named the "The Loved Laurel Crowned Poet of California"
by the Legislature of 1919 (Statutes of 1919, Resolution
Chapter 51) - she held the title until her death in 1928.
California's second poet laureate, Henry Meade Bland, was
named "The Laurel Crowned Poet of California" by the
Legislature in 1929 (Statutes of 1929, Resolution Chapter
23) - he held the title until his death in 1931.
In 1933, the Legislature (Statutes of 1933, Resolution
Chapter 105) designated John Steven McGroarty as "Poet
Laureate of California" - he held the title until his death
in 1944.
In 1953, the Legislature (Statutes of 1953, Resolution
Chapter 210) appointed Gordon W. Norris as Poet Laureate -
he served until his death in 1961.
The last Poet Laureate appointed by the Legislature
(Statutes of 1966, Resolution Chapter 8) was Charles "Gus"
Garrigus. Mr. Garrigus was the first Poet Laureate ever
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appointed who also served as a member of the State
Legislature (1959-66) - he held the title until his death
in October 2000.
In Memory of Charles "Gus" Garrigus (1914-2000) :
When You Think of California
When you think of California think of people filled with
zest
For a special kind of living in the freedom of the West.
Think of swimmers, fishers, golfers, campers-backyard
loafers too,
Using beaches, parks, and mountains, doing things folks
love to do.
When you think of California think of industry and trade;
Think of busy people working at the tasks where wealth is
made.
Think of prosperous ports and cities, personal income going
higher,
And the worker and the seller sharing profits with the
buyer.
When you think of California think of copious valleys
green,
With a promise of fulfillment that makes agriculture queen.
Where the vineyards, groves, and orchards are oases of
delight,
With a myriad of blossoms making perfume of the night.
When you think of California think of history rich in lore:
Indian, priest, and forty-niner and the bold conquistador;
Of wagon trains a rolling to the tune of Clementine,
And the roots of many cultures in the raisin and the wine.
When you think of California, think of Nature's generous
hand:
Mountains, deserts, beaches, Redwoods, beautifying land;
Primeval parks of wilderness, Nature's archives of the
past,
Preserving for the future the beauty that should last.
When you think of California think of education's power,
Think of well-trained labor ready for a task or leisure's
hour;
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Think of schools for every purpose, with a challenge that's
supreme
For a youth with opportunity to realize its dream.
When you think of California think of mighty works of man,
Think of reservoirs and rivers in a classic water plan;
Think of webs of towering bridges, gracefully spanning
stream and bay
And the high lines wheeling power, making life an easier
way.
When you think of California think of dusks as soft as
down,
With a neon fluorescence like a halo round each town:
Think of gleaming streams of freeways, head and tail lights
flowing by,
And the green-red blinking air fleets purring smoothly
through the sky.
When you think of California see the Capitol Dome aglow,
Brightly rising over Deodars so stately in a row;
See the luminescent leaves above the lights throughout the
park,
Smell the jasmine and azaleas breathing fragrance to the
dark.
California, California are we always living true
To the variant rich reality of life we share in you?
May we know that all our blessings are a trust from
heaven's grace
And the way in which we use them show us worthy of this
place!
__________
Charles "Gus" Garrigus
Poet Laureate of California
Purpose of AB 113: The author's office notes that the
United States and numerous states and cities have created
the position of poet laureate to honor the contributions
that poets have made to culture and literature. The author
of this bill believes that "it is appropriate that a state
that is as rich in the literary arts as California should
find ways to honor its best practitioners while further
enriching the cultural heritage of our state."
Dr. Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California, notes that
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when the Library of Congress began the process of selecting
poet laureate for the United States, "the entire nation was
reminded that it has not only a rich literary heritage but
a dynamic and on-going literary life."
Dr. Starr also writes that "poetry can contribute to the
body politic in a variety of ways, and by recognizing
living poets of stature, the legislature can demonstrate
the organic nature of the culture of California: a culture
that draws its energy from commerce and innovation in many
different fields."
Furthermore, Dr. Starr points out that "having a poet
laureate for California would serve to show the world that
Californians acknowledge their literary wealth as well as
their commercial and industrial wealth."
Proponents of this measure believe that AB 113 will send a
clear message to people throughout the world, namely, that
California's state government has "a heart and soul."
Proponents believe that "poetry unites us, it celebrates
and laments what we most have in common - our joys and our
losses."
Suggested Amendment: As noted above, for the past 80 years
the Legislature has bestowed the honorary title of "Poet
Laureate" on California poets by means of a concurrent
resolution. This measure would essentially remove the
Legislature from the appointment process. Thus, the author
may wish to consider amending this measure to require the
Governor's choice to be subject to Senate confirmation
(Senate Committee on Rules).
SUPPORT: As of June 14, 2001:
Poets & Writers California Programs
Sacramento Poetry Center
California Federation of Women's Clubs
La Habra Woman's Club
Numerous private citizens
OPPOSE: None on file as of June 14, 2001.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
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