Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. First Poet Laureate Nassau County, New York “I will never be the former Poet Laureate of Nassau County, New York. I will always be the first Poet Laureate of Nassau County, New York,” Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr., of Freeport enjoys joking—and putting on his business card and address stamp. He is referring to the Sunday afternoon, June 24, 2007, when 173 (that was the official lawn count) people roared and applauded their acclamation of Max for this position. Scene was the vast grounds of Cedarmere, Nassau County Historic Site, home of the 19th Century poet William Cullen Bryant. Many Nassau County poets were voicing their approval, thus making Max’s designation official. This after he had been rejected by the Government Services & Operations Committee of the Legislature. 6-1 {Legislator Wayne Wink the sole supporter). Why? Max had written a chapbook of poems, “Iraq and Other Killing Fields: Poetry for Peace.”(For website story see “Rejected as Poet Laureate Because of Anti-war Poems.”). ********** Max’s principal project during his two-year term was the Nassau County Poet Laureate Poetry Contest for Students from which came publication of “Young Voices: An Anthology of Poetry by Nassau County Students,” edited by Judy Turek. The Nassau County Poet Laureate Committee, headed by Paula Camocho of Farmingdale, whose members did the bulk of work operating the contest and publishing the book, donated a copy to each library in Nassau County. It also results in another joke. When Max tells how people how the “Nassau County Poet Laureate Committee did most of the work, he adds, “but I got my picture on the cover,” and holds up a copy. (See website story “Young Voices” Anthology Shows Very Young Can Write Literature.”). ********** Max claims a footnote in education history. “I have taught in the Farmingdale (NewYork) Public Schools longer than any teacher in the district’s history: 29 years, 6th – 8th grade, in the Weldon E. Howitt School and after that 15 years (still going) teaching a Continuing Education course, ‘You Can Write Poetry!’”He suggests anyone challenging his claim will have to search back through years of teacher personnel records. But fine if somebody can do it. ******** Always the teacher. For someone who never thought he would be a teacher he is still teaching Continuing Education and Taproot Workshops, Inc., for writers 55 and older. He conducts ten-week spring and fall Taproot sessions at the Port Washington Public Library and Syosset Public Library. Officially, the person in charge is a leader, but Max feels himself to be in the role of a teacher. Most of the Tap rooters are in their 70s and 80s and all show exciting progress. “I have come to think,” Max comments speculatively, “we must possess a gene that flares when we reach a certain advanced age enabling us to produce interesting, compelling and especially useful writing. Only reason I can suggest for this leap forward in seniors’ remarkable quality of writing.”

Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr.

First Poet Laureate

Nassau County, New York

“I will never be the former Poet Laureate of Nassau County, New York. I will always be the first Poet Laureate of Nassau County, New York,” Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr., of Freeport enjoys joking—and putting on his business card and address stamp.

He is referring to the Sunday afternoon, June 24, 2007, when 173 (that was the official lawn count) people roared and applauded their acclamation of Max for this position. Scene was the vast grounds of Cedarmere, Nassau County Historic Site, home of the 19th Century poet William Cullen Bryant. Many Nassau County poets were voicing their approval, thus making Max’s designation official. This after he had been rejected by the Government Services & Operations Committee of the Legislature. 6-1 {Legislator Wayne Wink the sole supporter). Why? Max had written a chapbook of poems, “Iraq and Other Killing Fields: Poetry for Peace.”(For website story see “Rejected as Poet Laureate Because of Anti-war Poems.”).

**********

Max’s principal project during his two-year term was the Nassau County Poet Laureate

Poetry Contest for Students from which came publication of “Young Voices: An Anthology of

Poetry by Nassau County Students,” edited by Judy Turek. The Nassau County Poet Laureate

Committee, headed by Paula Camocho of Farmingdale, whose members did the bulk of work

operating the contest and publishing the book, donated a copy to each library in Nassau County.

It also results in another joke. When Max tells how people how the “Nassau County Poet

Laureate Committee did most of the work, he adds, “but I got my picture on the cover,” and

holds up a copy. (See website story “Young Voices” Anthology Shows Very Young Can Write

Literature.”).

**********

Max claims a footnote in education history. “I have taught in the Farmingdale (NewYork)

Public Schools longer than any teacher in the district’s history: 29 years, 6th – 8th grade, in the

Weldon E. Howitt School and after that 15 years (still going) teaching a Continuing Education

course, ‘You Can Write Poetry!’”He suggests anyone challenging his claim will have to

search back through years of teacher personnel records. But fine if somebody can do it.

********

Always the teacher. For someone who never thought he would be a teacher he is still

teaching Continuing Education and Taproot Workshops, Inc., for writers 55 and older. He

conducts ten-week spring and fall Taproot sessions at the Port Washington Public Library and

Syosset Public Library. Officially, the person in charge is a leader, but Max feels himself to be in

the role of a teacher. Most of the Tap rooters are in their 70s and 80s and all show exciting

progress. “I have come to think,” Max comments speculatively, “we must possess a gene that

flares when we reach a certain advanced age enabling us to produce interesting, compelling and

especially useful writing. Only reason I can suggest for this leap forward in seniors’ remarkable

quality of writing.”