George Elliott Clarke says poetry, 'the soul of the arts', can't die
Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke is on a mission to make his role relevant to the average Canadian.


George Elliott Clarke is on a mission. Canada's recently appointed Parliamentary Poet Laureate wants to make his role relevant to more Canadians — from those tweeting in Toronto to those navigating the far north.
The Nova Scotia native joins Shad in studio q to share why he's on the job "every minute, every second, every millisecond", how he plans to become the people's poet, and why he doesn't worry about the death of his craft.
"Poetry is the cheapest art. All you need is your brain," he says. "Poetry is the soul of the arts."

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