page_title: Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate
section_title: Martha's Vineyard's First Poet Laureate, Lee H. McCormack – the election process
hierarchical_section_title: Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate / Martha's Vineyard's First Poet Laureate, Lee H. McCormack – the election process
caption_attribution_description: English: Lee H. McCormack is the first Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate in the history of the island of Martha's Vineyard. In the summer of 2012, Lee H. McCormack was selected by a jury of ten judges representing the 168-member Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society. Mr. McCormack was one out of a field of seventeen participating poets. Each poet submitted five of their finest poems to the founder of the MV Poetry Society. The poems were then copied and distributed to the judges without any identifying marks except for a number assigned to each poet. All judging was based solely on the merits of submitted poems. Each of the ten judges did not know the names of the poets they were judging. As well, participating poets did not know the names of the judges. The names of the winning poet was revealed to the judges after their numerical judging results were submitted and calculated. The Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate is a two-year term. The MV Poet Laureate is responsible for promoting poetry and educating the public about the merits of this high-art form. This effort includes outreach poetry programs through schools; senior centers; social institutions; churches; media; writers groups; memorials, and appropriate political gatherings on and off the island of Martha's Vineyard. Lee H. McCormack, is a year-round Martha's Vineyard resident who has lived on the island for over 40-years. He has been writing poetry since age twelve. Mr. McCormack undertook intensive poetry studies with: Galway Kinnell; Sharon Olds; Charles Simic; Robert Pinsky; Thomas Lux; Peter Klappert; Steve Orlen; George Mills; Short-term critical studies with: Michael Ryan; AI; Single Summer Resident at Warren Wilson MFA Program. For more information: Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate
context_page_description: The concept of the position of Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate was formally initiated in 2011 by the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society. This was the first time in Martha's Vineyard history that a position was created to designate an island-wide poet laureate. On similar note, the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society is the first island-wide poetry organization with membership in the history of Martha's Vineyard. MVPS was founded in 2008 by island poet/author/musician, William Waterway.
  The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society is composed of a group of approximately 410 island poets and supporters who seek to enhance the presence of poetry on the Vineyard and throughout the world. The purpose of Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society's is to promote poetry on Martha's Vineyard through education and through the support of existing and new poetry groups. It is the organization's hope that through elevation of poetry in people's lives and consciousness – it will facilitate a positive contribution to Martha's Vineyard culture and life styles.
context_section_description: Following a year-long judging process – Lee H. McCormack was selected as the island's first Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate in July 2012.
  A jury of ten qualified literary judges from representatives of the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society, island libraries, writers, and poetry groups made the selection. Mr. McCormack was one out of a field of twenty-six participating poets. Each poet submitted five of their finest poems to the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society. The poems were then copied and distributed to the judges without identifying marks except for a number assigned to each poet. All judging was based solely on the merits of submitted poems. Each of the ten judges did not know the names of the poets they were judging. On similar note, participating poets did not know the names of the ten judges.
  The names of the winning poet was revealed to the judges after the numerical judging results were submitted and calculated. Shortly after the judging process, a public announcement and media release shared the name of the winning poet. The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Society, in conjunction with the Vineyard Haven Public Library, held a festive evening to inaugurate and celebrate the island's first Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate.
  Since his election, MV Poet Laureate, Lee, H. McCormack has undertaken several public library poetry gatherings – as well as participating in the Featherstone Center for the Arts evening of "Fall Poetry and Music." Mr. McCormack is also organizing a series of workshops with island poetry groups; libraries; schools; cultural institutions, and council on aging organizations. MV Poet Laureate McCormack read his shark conservation and education poem, entitled, The Apex, before an audience exceeding 2,000 people at the "Jaws Fest The Tribute", festival in 2012.
  Lee H. McCormack was a year-round Martha's Vineyard resident who lived on the island of Martha's Vineyard for over 40-years. He was a member of the Cleaveland House Poets of West Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard. Cleaveland House Poets, is a poetry group that has grown out of a poetry group founded in the house of same name by Dionis Coffin Riggs. The group has met every two weeks since c1960. MV Poet Laureate Lee McCormack composed poetry from age twelve, and undertook intensive poetry studies with: Galway Kinnell; Sharon Olds; Charles Simic; Robert Pinsky; Thomas Lux; Peter Klappert; Steve Orlen; George Mills (writer); Short-term critical studies with: Michael Ryan; AI; Single Summer Resident at Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers.
  He died on April 15, 2020 .
caption: Lee H. McCormack, first Martha's Vineyard Poet Laureate (MV Poet Laureate) in the island's history
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