LISTEN to my January 17th, 2023 WIOX show (also a podcast!) featuring Eric Baylin, Poet Laureate Emeritus of Sullivan County, New York. You’ll hear Eric discussing his tenure as Poet Laureate, reading his poems and talking about his life as a sculptor and teacher. Planet Poet’s Poet-At-Large, Pamela Manché Pearce, also joins us on the program.
Season 5 Episode 5
Eric Baylin - Poet Laureate Emeritus of Sullivan County, N.Y.
LISTEN to Season 5 Episode 5 on Spotify
Eric Baylin, poet and sculptor, lives in Sullivan County, NY, in the village of North Branch. He served as Sullivan County Poet Laureate for 2021-22, a role sponsored by the Sullivan County Library Association. Eric taught visual art for 52 years, working with all ages from pre-school through college, and recently retired after 37 years at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn.
As Poet Laureate, Eric sought to give poetry a public face in Sullivan County and to encourage the reading and writing of poetry among county residents of all ages. To fulfill his goals, Eric gave workshops, organized and presented poetry events including the first Sullivan County Youth Poetry Festival, held at Bethel Woods in April 2022 and Sylvan Land: The Spirit of Sullivan in Word and Song, at the Tusten Theatre in Narrowsburg, among other his other numerous duties.
In his work as a sculptor Eric uses elements from nature, tree branches and stones gathered from nearby fields and streams to create temporary site-specific installations exhibited at galleries in Sullivan County. Eric is also a long-time meditator, a practice that fuels and sustains both his poetry and art.