Poet Laureate

The City of Rochester will choose a new Poet Laureate in the spring of 2027. 

The Rochester Poet Laureate must:

• Be a legal resident of Minnesota and have lived and/or worked in the Rochester city area for at least two years;
• Have made significant contributions to the literary community;
• Show willingness and ability to achieve poet laureate responsibilities; and
• Intend to live and/or work in the city of Rochester or the Rochester area for the duration of the appointment.

Applicants must be willing to commit to serving a four-year (preferred) or two-year term, and to create, encourage, and share poetry in the community.

If you have further questions, please contact the Mayor's Office at 507-328-2700. 

Rochester's current Poet Laureate is Jean Prokott. She is a local high school English teacher who encourages her students to write and participate in the poetry community. She is known as an excellent, award-winning writer and an engaging poetry reader who incorporates sharp wit and humor into her work. Jean frequently writes about our community, including poems about geese, the Corn Tower, and works of art at Mayo Clinic. Jean’s work “Prose Aubade Ending with Lipstick” was included in Bright Light: Stories in the Night – a collection of poetry and artwork from Southeast Minnesota Poets through a grant funded by the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council.

Rochester’s first Poet Laureate, Jane Belau, was appointed by Mayor Brede in April 2012 and Mayor Norton appointed Susan McMillan in March 2019. Both Poet Laureates have served our community by organizing events and activities around reading and poetry.