Aurora’s first and only poet laureate will continue to act as the city’s volunteer literary liaison next year, albeit to the chagrin of some city council members.
Council voted 7-3 at a regular meeting Aug. 10 to retain Jovan Mays as Aurora’s official Poet Laureate through December 2016. The city’s Library and Cultural Services Department, which spearheads the poet laureate program, had originally called to extend Mays’ role through 2017, though several council members pushed back against that idea, claiming that lengthening the term would unfairly usurp the opportunity of others interested in the post. Mays has served as Aurora’s top rhymester since the position was created in January 2014.
“I think it’s only fair to give others the opportunity to have a chance to be our poet laureate,” said Renie Peterson, city councilwoman for Ward II. Peterson called for an amendment, which was later approved, for the term of any future laureates not to exceed one year. Poets are allowed, however, to reapply and serve back-to-back runs as laureate, according to Patti Bateman, director of the library and cultural services department.
Peterson also attempted to kill a prong of the resolution that called for a $500 quarterly stipend for Mays, which would begin in January of next year. Currently, Mays is not paid by the city for the volunteer role, though he does receive honoraria from different entities with which he performs, such as the Community College of Aurora and the Cherry Creek School District.
“We have so many volunteers on so many boards and commissions throughout the city that give up their time, readjust their schedules and use their own gasoline to go to and from events or meetings, and it seems like it would be unfair to give to one, but not to do that for other volunteers throughout the city,“ Peterson said. “I think this could actually blow up and become something much more if we don’t just end it (the stipend) right now.”
Peterson’s proposal to nix the stipend failed on a 4-6 vote, which means that Mays will receive $2,000 next year for his services, including readings at the Mayor’s annual State of the City address and City Council Aurora Scholars celebrations. Council members Bob LeGare, Sally Mounier and Marsha Berzins voted in favor of the amendment.
A graduate of Smoky Hill High School, Mays — who did not attend the council discussions earlier this month — said that acting as the poetic face of his hometown has been one speckled with pride.
“I think this is just the elephant’s nose under the tent,” Mounier, who presides over Ward I in north Aurora, said before the final vote at the council meeting earlier this month. “This is just the beginning and I can see five years down the road where we’ll be doing $3,000 a quarter, and I just don’t want to see that happen.”
Several of the council members opposed to the stipend cited the volunteer nature of the poet laureate’s position as a reason to oppose the payment, though those in favor of paying Mays said that he often surpasses the time typically required of city volunteers.
“This individual did not request a stipend, staff didn’t recommend that we give him a stipend and this came out of a committee meeting when we were discussing the renewal of the term,” said Ward VI councilman Bob Broom. “People on that committee decided that it made sense to give some consideration for how much time is consumed by this individual carrying out this role.”
Mays has spoken at five to eight city events per quarter over the past 18 months, according to Bateman.
A graduate of Smoky Hill High School, Mays — who did not attend the council discussions earlier this month — said that acting as the poetic face of his hometown has been one speckled with pride.
“Being integrated in that upper tier of the city has been such a high honor and (will be) something great for future poet laureates to make them feel valued, which isn’t usually how you feel as a poet,” Mays said. “Going into a room with elite folks and having them approach you like you’re an equal has been a really impressive part.”
Going forward, Mays said that he plans to bolster his work with local kids, particularly those within Aurora Public Schools. In recent years, Mays has taught workshops in the Cherry Creek School District through the help of grants offered by the Cherry Creek Foundation — something he aims to mimic in APS.
“Having APS as a serious ally to the poet laureate program is going to be huge,” he said. “I can’t think of another entity that could be any more important to have on the side of something that is as subjectively academic as poetry.”
And although Mays’ exact duties with APS and as a general city volunteer have yet to be finalized, the topic of several of his poems — many of which center on race-based issues — as well as his attire have perturbed some on council.
“Is it proper for him to wear a T-Shirt with ‘Hands Up’ on it when you’re giving a poet (sic) speech?” Peterson said at a July 27 study session, referencing a shirt Mays wore in support of the national organization Black Lives Matter. “Maybe we would talk about what’s appropriate and what isn’t.”
“Having APS as a serious ally to the poet laureate program is going to be huge,” he said. “I can’t think of another entity that could be any more important to have on the side of something that is as subjectively academic as poetry.”
At-large Councilwoman Debi Hunter Holen, who helped launch the poet laureate program, has defended Mays’ style and the subject of his works, saying that they are reflective of the current cultural fabric. However, her comments haven’t been enough to sway the stance of Peterson and others on council.
“I could see people getting up and walking out of events if that’s what he’s going to do,” said Marsha Berzins, Ward III councilwoman. “We spend so much money and effort branding the city to come live in Aurora … and then to have a poet laureate talk about controversial things, on purpose — if that’s what we want the poet laureate to do, I don’t want it.”
— Staff Writer Rachel Sapin contributed to this report.
PERRY: Aurora takes a wrong turn into the write stuff trying to run over the city’s poet laureate
Our City is bright our citizens keen.
Upon many volunteers we do lean.
Aurora embraced adversity.
On this we rely the making of a fabulous
community.
We all stand in strength working
at our best.
There’s no need to ask why
Aurora is blessed.
Renie
O.K Renie girl, now you’re talking! Pull that cultural fabric over Holen’s head. He’s supposed to write poetry for special occasions and events. It should be inspirational not, something that starts a riot or leaves the listener disgusted enough to bug out.
It’s already been proven “Hands up”, didn’t happen. So while they’re at it and are now putting him on the payroll, they better make sure pants hangin’ down, doesn’t happen either.
What a slap in the face of the good officers (men and women alike), that serve this city well.
You’ve seen this rioting? You’ve been to these events and seen people leave in disgust? You’ve been to any poetry readings what so ever? You’ve been to Slam Competitions and know that Mr. Mays’ particular brand of poetry is somehow divisive and inflammatory that is ” a slap in the face of the good officers (men and women alike), that serve this city [Aurora] well”? You know Mr. Mays’ material well enough to know that he and his work deserves your vitriol and venom? Your are indeed the fashion police and have personally witnessed Mr. Mays attend events with his “pants hangin’ down” to illicit such a bigoted remark? You’ve sat in while Mr Mays has worked with Classes at schools of every level across the metro area and know that he’s a poor role model because you have witnessed this first hand and is not a good representative of Aurora? You’ve seen him work with kids in sports almost every Saturday and know that he’s not the person that you want to be a face of Aurora?
Because for the most part, I’ve seen a lot of Jovan. I’ve seen him work with elementary kids and getting them passionate about writing, which is no easy feat. I’ve watched him gently, patiently explain the rules of sports to kids, many Saturdays, while still making it fun for them to play (also an extremely difficult task). Not that it really makes a difference, though I usually see him in athletic gear, when I don’t he’s dressed very much like he is in the above picture. I am familiar with his work, his poetry is very much based on race, and there is nothing that is a slap in the face to anyone that is a good and decent person. I know poetry very well, read it often and listen to it occasionally, Jovan Mays is a very good poet. There is a reason he’s a National Champion.
I have my doubts that you have ever read or listened to much if any poetry. I think you see an opportunity to step on someone that’s out there, involved and taking a lot of pride in the city that he loves (which is completely lost on me as to why), and is extremely engaged, not just in his community but in the Denver metro area at large, the state and even, to a degree, the nation. Even a cursory search or the most minimal about of research into the subject at hand would have squelched much of your biased diatribe, if not all of it. So I think you’re lazy, and just like taking shots at people from the comfort of your cushy chair safe behind your computer screen… all while people like Mr. Mays is out there making their community better.
Wearing the Hands Up shirt when you’re representing City of Aurora, is now and will remain a slap in the face of law enforcement and those who support them, know them, have families with them and so on.
Hands up, don’t shoot, never happened. When Mr. Mays appears at a city event, he should look professional. Wearing that message on his shirt is divisive.
You’re dreaming if you think there aren’t people who’ve served their community and made it better in addition to Mr. Mays. Let’s hear it for everyone of them because All lives matter, if you like it or not.
By the way, I don’t care for poetry. It bores me. If other people love it and want to hear it, that’s all that matters.
All Live Matter? That’s the point you wish to make? It’s a racist one. Because it goes without saying. BLM is about bringing awareness to an issue. You want to detract from that. You want to silence the message that there is something wrong and troubling in America. That institutional abuses do not happen.
But you condemn art, because of the color of a man’s skin and a tee shirt. You are truly a plague to be endured.
There is no awareness to be brought. More white men have been killed by police than black. In any case, STOP BREAKING THE LAW. STOP PUTTING OFFICERS IN A POSITION TO USE THEIR SERVICE WEAPON FOR SELF PRESERVATION.
Here’s the best message YOU need to get. Start working with the youth in America and have that work start in the home. Teach them respect and that there is such a thing as authority. If that’s in the classroom when the teacher tells them to be quiet or when you as the parent tell them to make their bed and clean their room.
Know where your kids are, with whom, and what they are doing at all times. Set limits on how long they can be away without you overseeing their activities. When you notice things have changed in a negative direction since they started hanging with THAT new friend, get rid of the new friend.
Parent your child. STOP rewarding children if they didn’t earn it, because you feel better having them think of you as their friend. In fact, sometimes don’t reward them at all because that’s life. If you teach them to be a family member that is a team player, that will carry over into their adult life.
You really should listen to Ben Carter. If not, then listen to someone who is calling it out, Peggy Hubbard.
You do, do nothing and that’s the stupidest most racist thing I’ve heard. And while you’re trashing Jovan Mays he’s spending time with kids, not breaking any laws and volunteering his time to work with kids, teaching them art and self expression. But you sit there and get all racist BECAUSE OF A TEE SHIRT. That doesn’t break any laws. He does more than you with all of racist diatribe and for that matter so do I.
How many hours a week do you provide your community? Not enough I’ll bet. Busy writing over simplistic racist epitaphs and attacking good people for the dumbest of reasons.
If only you knew who I am you little fool.
I really don’t care who you are otr think you are. I know what you present.
You’re really good at turning the tables and trying your best paint me as something I’m not. Good for you and yet not. People will turn their back on you and mute/delete from their memory, your words as baseless rhetoric.
Of all the days for you to open your mouth with all that has surfaced regarding this mornings shooter of two young reporters all under the guise of racism.
Great job on saying nothing at all.
So far I’ve heard nothing from you of substance. I noticed you whizzed right by my comment about Dr. Ben Carson and Peggy Hubbard.
Black Lives Matter doesn’t speak for everyone.
Police Chief’s cousin and a surgeon. What do I care what they think? What exactly do they have in common? They are an authority on child rearing? I suspect that the nanny raised Carson’s kids and she’s a retired Navy and IRS something… not even sure what she does. I know she hangs with bikers and has an abiding appreciation of flags of American Enemies. Not even sure she has kids. I’m raising well adjusted kids that love school and deep appreciation of the arts… that you would find as a waste and boring.
I’m confused… what do they have in common exactly? What makes them note worthy at all? Oh WAIT! THEY’RE BLACK! Wow. Really? If you have to use black “celebs” to bolster your belief system… that should make you reconsider your belief system. And I did respond… it’s part of what makes your belief system a racist.
LOL you compare me to “thugs” and murders now? Go ahead. If it makes you feel good. You’re using very racially aggressive terms and imagery. Let us not forget that this started when you used the stereotype of the “thug” with his pants down… in direct contradiction to the visual evidence before you. You conjured up an image that suited your hat red.
Apparently, you have no interest in listening to Dr. Carson’s positive message concerning achievement born out of a very real struggle. He was born into poverty and came up from the ghetto minus a father. Raised by a mother who was determined to keep her children out of gang life. Maybe you’d find that message to be a waste and boring since it wouldn’t fit your agenda.
I guess you’d also prefer to give no voice to Peggy Hubbard either. For anyone who might be following our discussion, please you tube her and have a listen. It won’t be a waste of your time. Mason Weaver is another one worth listening to.
No matter what you say, all you’ve got in your bag of tricks is calling people racist if they question anything at all. It’s tired and your losing listeners and supporters in the process. I don’t believe one race is superior to another. That’s a label you and people who support your type of thinking brand other’s with which divides instead of unites.
As far as pants hanging down. The poet is now on the payroll. If Aurora has a dress code for the city employees, it now will or should apply to him as well. End of story.
Obvious questions :
Carson had a tough one growing up. Does that make everyone that grows up to beat the odds an Expert that needs to be listened to without regard to how vanilla or even inaccurate that “Expert” opinion might be?
Does that then make me an expert, meaning everything I say is gold because my odds were longer than most and I dare say longer than the description you gave Carson?
Really what is my “agenda”? (Could have sworn it was just telling you to take care with your biases)
So how is my ignoring Peggy Publicity Hound denying her “voice”? (Unlike some, you in particular, I have not advocated for her to be babysat to make sure her pants were pulled up or her skirt was of proper length or that she didn’t hang out with bikers or pose near Lee’s Battle Flag. I simply don’t care what she has to say about suspects not having rights in difference to the laws of our land.)
Not “my bag of tricks”. Who, with all evidence to the contrary stated ” they better make sure pants hangin’ down, doesn’t happen either” and similarly stated several things that were mere suppositions with no evidence at all?
I asked you several questions regarding your biased and ill informed comments and you provided nothing but conjure and and a dismissive attitude. Let me help you with the answers to the first questions so we can wrap this up neatly and get you to stop deflecting to protect your hat efilled biases:
“You’ve seen this rioting?” No.
“You’ve been to these events and seen people leave in disgust?” No.
“You’ve been to any poetry readings what so ever?” No.
“You’ve been to Slam Competitions and know that Mr. Mays’ particular brand of poetry is somehow divisive and inflammatory that is ” a slap in the face of the good officers (men and women alike), that serve this city [Aurora] well”?” No. In fact you have not taken anytime to review Mr. Mays poetry at all though it would take a fraction of the time you spent hat ing on him, and have no idea what his poetry is even about.
“You know Mr. Mays’ material well enough to know that he and his work deserves your vitriol and venom?” Again no, you decided long ago, like a child encountering Brussels Sprouts that they seemed ‘icky’ and you refuse to have an open mind and even look at what you condemn in ignorance.
“Your are indeed the fashion police and have personally witnessed Mr. Mays attend events with his “pants hangin’ down” to illicit such a bigoted remark?” No, in fact you ignored the photo of Mr. Mays in the article and made the bigoted comment anyways.
“You’ve sat in while Mr Mays has worked with Classes at schools of every level across the metro area and know that he’s a poor role model because you have witnessed this first hand and is not a good representative of Aurora?” No you just heard he wore a Tee Shirt, which makes him a bad person and a ‘thug’ in your small mind.
“You’ve seen him work with kids in sports almost every Saturday and know that he’s not the person that you want to be a face of Aurora?” No, but it doesn’t matter because HE WORE A TEE SHIRT!
Those are all questions surrounding your statement made in haste and in your own word “snark”. Instead of owning your words you deflect and attack. Take some responsibilitgy for being wrong and quit compounding your ignorance with this nonsense. Or is responsibility only for ‘the other guy’?
We done here?
You’re absolutely dim. You just keep circling back to the same rhetoric, don’t you?
I stated what I feel his tee-shirt says to those in law enforcement. Period.
If he (the poet), is representing City of Aurora, then he needs to look professional.
Period.
I never said his pants were hanging down.
Poetry and hearing someone read it, bores me.
Period.
You’ve decided I hate Mr. Mays. I don’t know him to hate him.
Period.
You keep using the word “racists” to put me in a box and label me. I’m not racist.
Period.
I also found instances where you vilify police officers and did a copy/paste of YOUR words about them. Showing who you are.
Period.
You’re so busy listening to yourself and believing the bull you put out there, YOU’RE the very reason so many in America are turning a deaf ear to “the cause”.
You need to look up the word rhetoric.
You also need to stop lying. I copy and pasted your nonsense several times. You stated it. I didn’t make it up. Don’t try softening your position.
Not taking that from you either. I made a simple statement. You didn’t like it so, you came at me full steam ahead. I’m not going to back down to you or anyone.
You made several very simple statements. You talked about Jovan’s pants because he’s black… thinking you would get a laugh mayhaps? It wasn’t because poets have any pants issues. Robert Frost, ee cummings, Walt Whitman, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson, you’d have no issue with their pants or shirts or whatever.
What do you call that Ma’am?
Yes you also talked about a whole bunch of stuff that you obviously have no clue about:
“He’s supposed to write poetry for special occasions and events. It
should be inspirational not, something that starts a riot or leaves the
listener disgusted enough to bug out.”
“So while they’re at it and are now putting him on
the payroll,” “What a slap in the face of the good officers (men and women alike), that serve this city well.”
None of that is true. Not even remotely. Your reading comprehension is off and you seriously have a major problem with ownership… as in just because someone is somewhat a public figure you think you own them. Your entire statement is bizarre, I pointed out just the obvious flaws and asked you to question yourself.
But obviously you’re not a good person, and as you slap ever black face with your comments you don’t care how hideous you are.
No, you clearly have an inferiority complex. Get help!
LOL that’s right attack me. You think I should know you… because I would have a different opinion, you clear have no idea who I am… as a person.
I see it’s alright in your mind to label me a racist and when I give back what you’re serving up, to a much lesser degree, I’m attacking you? LOL
I don’t need to know you, I’ve already seen who you are as a person. You’re a part of the problem not the solution.
While you sit there astonished, calling me a racist, last night while the world slept this happened:
Texas sheriff’s deputy gunned down while pumping gas at Houston station in ‘cold-blooded and cowardly’ ambush; suspect reportedly in custody following manhunt
Is this more action from a ‘Hands Up’ supporter?
Yes I believe you’re very likely a racist. Let’s get that out there and done with.
I volunteer 20 to 40 hrs a week mostly helping kids. Some at risk, some not. Have for the better part of a decade. Did some but less volunteering before then. So on the low side, that’s probably well over Ten Thousand Hours of volunteer work I’ve done. Most of it not glamorous and largely unrecognized. Even Pres. Bush 43 would call me part of the solution. But you go ahead and claim that I’m part of the problem. That’s fine. What have you done to be part of the solution? Offering snark is not a public service.
I’m not sure what sickness in your mind conflates me with a murder. It’s reprehensible and has nothing to do with me. Has nothing to do with anything or anybody but the murderer himself. He can claim whatever he likes, I personally reject that type of wanton violence.
As for Jovan. It wasn’t him. He doesn’t have a hands up teeshirt, and he wasn’t even in Colorado on MLK Day. This is politics, pure and simple. Does that change things for you? It shouldn’t have, because the Tee shirt shouldn’t have mattered in the first place. The fact that it matters so much to you is telling to me. It too bad. If all you see is the external than that is really to bad. Makes a person bias too easily had.
You should recant. But you won’t.
You speak on things you know nothing about on a subject you pertain to care nothing about… with such authority. You should just apologize for the obvious racist comment and move on knowing better next time. But you double down and you will likely state you would say it about anyone and we all know that’s not true. You can purge hate and just choose not to do so. You attack a well educated articulate multi-talented good man. Because he’s an easy target for the likes of you and your ilk, simply because he’s black. You wouldn’t do it to a blond haired blued ivory skinned white girl… and we all know it.
Have a great time spreading your disease.
You’ve lost many points with far more people than you can even begin to imagine.
Have a great time spreading your disease too.
Oh my! I care deeply what all those people that are chiming in think… wait, it’s just you and me as I see it.
I won’t address any of the other racist “snark”.
Yawn.
That’s the racist I expected.
That slanderous remark being loosely thrown about whenever something doesn’t go your way or, when you want to shoot the messenger, has done more harm than good. People have become immune to being hit with the label. It’s lost its power.
1. We’re not really speaking, therefore not slander.
2. Your statements are definitely proof of your dark little soul. Not defamation so not only not slander but also not libel.
3. Even if it was defamation (not sure you’d win that one… almost positive you’d lose, the ToS for discuss we both signed protects us both.
4.Lots of little people are good with their labels so it doesn’t surprise me that you’re good with yours. Because, if anything you’ve done nothing but prove you’re unwillingness to see abuse, though it’s all around you, and then blame the victim and then claim to be victimized by something as innocuous AS A TEE SHIRT!
Nope, not buying what you’re selling.
Slander=verbal, libel=published, Disqus ToS=Read it, Your words=Say them to African Americas see what they think.
Thanks to the 4 minority position votes who realize what a waste of our tax dollars this is. I serve on two city and 1 county citizen boards as an Engineer gladly and without pay. But I’m thinking of requesting nomination as Engineer Laureate so I can haul down a few thou of our city’s apparent excess in our coffers. ‘-) J. Dougherty, Ward 4
Well, if they can make room for you two then they can certainly pay me to be the Snarky Laureate. I’m willing to attend all special occasions and events, for a couple of grand and when they tell a lie, I’ll be on the sidelines translating the b.s. into truth. Oh that’s right, I already do that here for free. 😉
You must not be a engineer that pays much attention to detail. Article clearly states that Mr. Mays didn’t request anything. It came out of committee with the stipend. I would have thought attention to detail would be a must to be a good engineer… but I see that you didn’t state that you were one.
Don’t Council members get a stipend for attending some meetings? That seems a bit hypocritical. I know they get an allowance for driving and technology needs.
I think I know what
this is all about:
Aurora has only one Poet to tout.
Considering the city’s diversities
and multiple nationalities,
Aurora should be able to afford
a Poet in every Ward.
It is always better, I have found,
if there is glory to be had,
then pass it around.