Oxford Resumes Search For Poetry Professor.

UNIVERSITY of Oxford; COLLEGE teachers; WALCOTT, Derek, 1930-2017; STEVENSON, Anne, 1933-2020; MOTION, Andrew

Oxford University opened nominations on Thursday for the position of professor of poetry, The Guardian reported, less than a year after an embarrassing scandal caused one prominent poet to withdraw his candidacy and a second to resign shortly after she assumed the post. In May the Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott withdrew from an election for the professorship after anonymous packages were sent to Oxford academics, containing copies of pages from ''The Lecherous Professor,'' a book that described decades-old acts of sexual harassment that he allegedly committed. Days later, Ruth Padel became the first woman in more than 300 years to win the seat. But she quickly resigned after it was learned she had sent e-mail messages alerting reporters about ''The Lecherous Professor.'' Oxford will take nominations for the professorship, a prestigious position with a salary of less than $11,000 a year, through May 5, after which its graduates can vote for a favorite. The Guardian said Geoffrey Hill and Anne Stevenson were possible candidates, but Andrew Motion, a former British poet laureate, has said he does not want to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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