Hi friends—
This is a short missive to move us into the fall! I’ll be back with more in a couple of weeks.
Youth Poet Laureate Programming
What I most want to share right now is that programming related to our new Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate program is up and running! Starting in October and continuing into January, young people 13-18 with any (or no) background in poetry can attend any of the following workshops. This is a chance to meet others and also work with some stellar poets leading these classes. Participants can attend one or many—at any of the locations (see below for topics and details). Spread the word, please, and if you are a high school teacher and would like a classroom visit to hear more about the SC County Youth Poet Laureate program, get in touch—I’ve been scheduling these for October.
All workshops 4pm
October 10: Downtown SC Public Library, Generative Poetry Workshop
October 17: Felton Public Library, Generative Poetry Workshop
October 25: Watsonville Public Library, Generative Poetry Workshop (bilingual)
November 7: Capitola Public Library, Crafting a Resume/Honest Brag Sheet
November 14: Capitola Public Library, Saying It Out Loud: Reading Poetry to an Audience
January 16: Downtown SC Public Library, Putting a Poetry Portfolio Together
Week of January 22 Watsonville Public Library, Putting a Poetry Portfolio Together
And please mark your calendars for our free celebration of the inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, April 10, 2024, 6pm at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Registration to save a seat will be available soon—you’ll hear it here first, I promise. Application information and more at the SC Public Libraries dedicated Youth Poet Laureate webpage.
Weather or not
Tonight (8/31) at Bookshop Santa Cruz: a great way to pause to praise the garden at the height of summer weather with a reading from the new anthology Leaning Toward Light, edited by Tess Taylor. Taylor will be joined by two contributors from the anthology, our beloved poets Ellen Bass and Danusha Laméris. 7pm, Thursday August 31. More info here.
New Open Mic on First Friday
Performance artist Tom Brady, who has launched Satori Arts, an Artists Space, is hosting an Open Mic for poetry and spoken word this Friday, September 1. Slots are five minutes each and will run between 7-9. If you haven’t been in Tom’s space it’s worth dropping in to hear some poetry this Friday while you’re wandering around—poetry on First Friday seems like a great offering. 815 Almar Avenue, Unit 9. Info here.
More Live Poetry
And don’t miss three fantastic local poets reading from their new work on September 12, also at 7pm at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour, Nikia Chaney, and Roxi Power will read at the next Hive Live! More info here.
Reminder: Upcoming InterAct feature is Lauren Zaneiga, international slam poet. Tuesday September 5, 7pm, Abbott Square. A reminder about Inter|Act here.
Just a Reminder
If you read this newsletter and have found it informative on occasion, please help me spread the word. It is a useful tool for me to share programming and initiative news, and I’d love it if you would send it to one friend who might not yet know about it, or if you’re on social media, please post a link. Thank you!