Jim Ciletti: Pikes Peak Poet Laureate (April 2010 – March 2012)
Jim Ciletti
To Contact Jim Ciletti
To contact Jim send an e-mail to poet@pikespeakpoetlaureate.org or send a letter addressed to:
Jim Ciletti – Poet Laureate
c/o COPPeR
P.O. Box 190
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
To request an appearance by the Poet Laureate
To request an appearance by the Poet Laureate or other services from the project please read the below downloadable policy statement and complete and submit the downloadable Request Form and send to info@pikespeakpoetlaureate.org.
Poet Laureate Appearance Application
Poet Laureate Booking and Appearance Policy
Brief Biography of Jim Ciletti
Jim Ciletti grew up in an Italian family in the steel mill town of Washington, Pennsylvania. After parochial high school, Ciletti studied to be a Jesuit priest, but instead discovered his true calling as a poet and writer.
He wrote for the Lerner News company in Chicago, taught and Mundelein College, and later moved to Colorado to teach at Loretto Heights College in Denver. In the 1970s Ciletti served in the Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming Poets-in-the-Schools project. In the late 1970s he focused on writing for educational and documentary films, which included his award winning film, Bear Dance, about the Ute Indians.
Recently, Ciletti gave poetry workshops for the libraries of Salida, Montrose, and Paeonia. In February the Orme School in Mayer, Arizona celebrated Ciletti’s 40th year as poet-in-residence during the Fine Arts Festival. His award winning poems are in his book, Sunfire.
Ciletti is an active poet who participates and leads writing workshops and readings, and volunteers to teach creative writing in Colorado prisons. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife Mary, who is the owner of Hooked on Books.