Month: September 2015

October 2015 Plans

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October 2015 will be full of great poetry-related events!

October 8, Thursday: Write Your First Poem workshop

October 16, Friday: Peninsula Literary ( Jennifer Swanton Brown, Featured Reader) — check out the flyer and more details here.

October 17, Saturday: Cupertino Diwali Festival

  • Come see Jennifer Swanton Brown and Amanda Williamsen at the Cupertino Library’s booth. Event sponsored by the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce. Video preview here!
  • Video by Cupertino poet Archana Panda  “Celebrating Diwali in America” (Diwali Festival, 2014)

October 24, Saturday: Cupertino Library Diwali Celebration

Media Poetry Studio Fabulous Finale!

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As one of the co-founders* of Media Poetry Studio it was my huge pleasure to attend the celebratory viewing of the students’ video poems. The event was held August 1, 2015, at the Milpitas Library. Not having ever been to that really really interesting venue, I enjoyed the historic building almost as much as the poetry.

milptias library 2 milpitas library 1

If you head over to the MPS website, you can see the videos of the poems, created by the students. You can follow MPS on Facebook and see more photos.

erica jen david three PLs

*It was a “Three Poets Laureate” project, but I was never one of the directors — all kudos and huzzahs for the fabulous outcome of MPS goes to Erica Goss and David Perez. Here we are, three poets laureate: Erica, me and David.

New Poet Laureate Press Coverage

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Click through here for the announcement on the Cupertino Library Foundation’s website.

The selection process was frequently advertised in local papers, the Cupertino Scene and the Courier.

Cupertino Scene May announcment of searchCupertino Scene July announcment of search

The Mercury News/Cupertino Courier also placed our advert.

Meet the New Poet Laureate : Amanda Williamsen

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After several months of committee meetings and planning, and several weeks of interviewing talented applicants, the Cupertino Poet Laureate Selection Committee recommended to the Cupertino Library Commission one poet for the third incarnation of this city volunteer position.

That poet is Amanda Williamsen (above center–with PL1 Dave Denny and PL2 Jennifer Brown–after her appointment by the city, August 18, 2015).

From this link, you can watch the video of the city council meeting in which Amanda was introduced and the vote was made appointing her. You can also download and read the draft resolution from the Library Commission as well as Amanda’s bio. (The video for “Agenda Item 14” starts at 2:04:02; Library Commissioner Ann Stevenson begins speaking at 2:04:24).

screen capture of city council meeting August 18 2015

Congratulations to Amanda! She begins her term in January 2016.

Here are a few selection committee members who were able to attend the council meeting.

PL3 group Adrians photo

Bev Lenihan, Adrian Kolb, Amanda Williamsen, Dave Denny, Jennifer Brown, Ann Stevenson, Pushpa MacFarlane

Catching Up with the PL Summer

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Summer has been a busy time, for me, and for Cupertino poetry lovers. I’ve been away from this blog, doing my poetry work, spending time with family and vacation. But there’s been poetry action, and with this post I want to give an overview of what’s been happening in the past three months.

July

July 7: Poets in the Park at Rancho San Antonio 

  • I spent some great time with a friend and her son reading poetry and exploring this local park. Check out the videos!

July 11: California Poets in the Schools at the Silicon Valley STEAM Festival 

July 21: Media Poetry Studio Guest Lesson

  • My PL colleagues Erica Goss and David Perez invited me to give a lesson to their teen girl campers.

July Cupertino Poet Laureate Selection Committee & Interviews

Cupertino Scene June announcment of search with all names

August

August 1: Media Poetry Studio Videos Presentation 

  • Students from this special summer camp presented their video poems at the Milpitas Library.

August 18: Cupertino City Council Appoints New Poet Laureate 

Poet Laureate Vacation Adventures

I had a great vacation and spent some time with poetry and favorite American poets.

  • Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst Massachusetts
  • Robert Frost moments at Amherst College
  • Friends of the Library Used Bookstores, Boothbay Harbor and Wiscasset Maine
  • Placerville, California Bookstore Pleasures