Today’s Edmonton Journal reports that plans are well underway to create the position of poet laureate for the city. My pointing out of this matter in the lunch room begged the following questions: What does a poet laureate do? And, Why does Edmonton need one? I had to confess to not knowing what the specific duties of a poet laureate are, other than composing official poems for important events, over a certain term. I’m throwing this question out to our resident poet, blogger john_d, as well as afficionadoes. Do we need civic poet laureates? What should their role be?