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Former St. John’s poet laureate George Murray unsure if he’ll return to his position after reversal of cuts

FrontmatterDec_GeorgeMurray(c)JohnW.MacDonaldFollowing St. John’s city council’s decision to reinstate the arts funding it cut by 50 per cent, or $100,000, in December, George Murray, the city’s poet laureate, says he’s unsure if he’ll return to his position.

Murray resigned from his post following the cuts, telling the council in a letter that he “cannot work and be a representative for a city that would make these kinds of cuts because a city that would make these kinds of cuts doesn’t deserve a poet laureate.”

“People in the community and some councillors are calling for [my return], but I’m not sure yet,” Murray says. “As I said in the original letter, I’d be happy to resume the post. … I wrote the letter to bring attention to the matter, and I think it worked. Of course now we have to figure out what’s next.”