Writers' Circle
First Thursday of the month,
6:30-8:30 p.m. to share writings, give constructive feedback or just listen and enjoy.
With Poet Laureate Mary McMillan
Main Street Gallery
325 N. Main St., Lakeport
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From Carolyn Wing Greenlee,
former Lake County Poet Laureate
"Speaking for Fire," written by James BlueWolf, and illustrated by me, has just been given the 2007 Best Children's Book of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. We're rather pleased.
Dan and I have just completed the first album of his original music (one song from "Even In Shadow") and would like to put some at the Arts Council. We'll be in Lakeport tomorrow morning and could drop five off if that would be okay. Our bass player is Dale Billester. One of our drummers is Rob Watson (former lead guitar for James Brown). I play eggs : ) and sing backup. Our electric guitarist is Pete Wilson, who was in the band that did the music for "Return to the Forbidden Planet." The keyboard, B-3 player is Dale Enstrom, my friend since 1982. He's from Elk Grove. I did the cover in paper cuts a la Matisse, of course.
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Also, do not forget the Friday Nite Open Mics. The sites will be First Friday at 6:30pm, the Bookkeeper in Cobb. Third Friday at 7pm, Crave Coffee in Middletown. Fourth Friday at Wild About Books, Clearlake
Of course, all of these events are free and open to the public.
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And now, no doubt to break the compulsive habit of Friday Night Poetry Readings, Phil Mathewson has started an open mic at Cafe Victoria in Lakeport, 4-6 pm on the First Saturday of the Month! |
POETRY NEWS!
LINKS TO PERIODICALS,
LINKS TO BLOGS.
NEWS ABOUT POETRY WORLDWIDE.
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Lake County Writers meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum. The group welcomes interested writers of all levels and genres.
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| CALL FOR POETRY
Three local writers are seeking your original poems and stories (under 700 words long) to publish in “Creative Expressions,” a publication in the Lake County Record-Bee. “Creative Expressions” is a unique opportunity for Lake County writers of all ages to publish original work.
Each issue is edited by three Lake County writers: Sandra Wade, Richard Schmidt and Mary McMillan, who will solicit and select the work to be published. If your work is selected, it will appear in the weekend edition of the newspaper, on page B-1.
Poems and stories of any kind or theme are welcome. Please send them to mtmcmillan@mac.com in the body of your e-mail. In the subject line, put “CE Submission.”
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On April 2 - 3, 2008, a first general gathering of California Poets Laureate was convened at the State Capitol. The event was sponsored by the California Arts Council, California State Library, California Poets in the Schools, Poets & Writers, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Sacramento Poetry Center.
Both Sandra Wade (PL 2006-8) and her predecessor Carolyn Wing Greenlee were able to represent Lake County at this exciting event for sharing of experience, ideas and mutual encouragement. At the evening reception in the Fragrance Garden (next to the New California State Library), current PL of California Al Young performed some of his work accompanied by Dan Robbins on jazz bass. Al is an accomplished jazz singer as well as an awe-inspiring poet. Due to the chill air and encroaching darkness, each poet present read only one poem that evening, after a tasty barbecue. But on the next afternoon, by the Capitol Fountain in warm sunshine, each had five minutes to give a representative sample of hir work.
On Thursday morning Al Young gave an inspiring keynote address "Line Breaks and Tax Breaks: Poetry and Democracy". The PoetryOutLoud program was introduced by Chelsea Hunt of SMAC. Then three consecutive panels provided time for poets to discuss successful projects, challenges and opportunities they have had as laureates of their respective communities. The first panel discussed how to get other organizations (schools, libraries, business) involved in poetry programs, and reported on some successful collaborations. Next, the topic of funding, visibility and the most pressing needs of poetry and the poetry community. Lake County was represented again, when Sandra Wade took part in the third panel with the topic 'What can poets laureate do to help each other? What tasks should we, as a group, focus on?'
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