Tag: David Denny

Changing of the Guard

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On January 7, 2016, Cupertino will welcome its third Poet Laureate, Amanda Williamsen, and express its thanks to its second Poet Laureate, Jennifer Swanton Brown.

During her term from 2013-2015, Jennifer hosted an Unsung Holidays reading series, participated in civic festivals, judged a poetry contest in conjunction with Silicon Valley Reads, hosted a Poetry Hack-a-Thon, and reached out to writers young and old with workshops and lessons.

Amanda plans to continue many of Jennifer’s efforts, including hosting a diverse reading series, visiting schools, and bringing poetry to many of our town’s events.  Her main project will be to conduct a Poetry Memoir Class for adults.  Through a collection of inter-related poems, writers can create or enhance a memoir in an approachable, meaningful, and fun art form.  A Poetry Memoir can transform a daunting task into an album with a series of snapshots to create a portrait of a life.

Join us at the Cupertino Senior Center on January 7 at 7:oo p.m. to thank Jennifer for her service and welcome Amanda.  Light refreshments will be served.

Pictured above:  Dave Denny, CPL #1, Amanda Williamsen, and Jennifer Swanton Brown.

 

 

Dave Denny’s New Book

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Cupertino’s first Poet Laureate, David Denny, has just announced that his new book has finally been released. You can purchase a copy from Amazon, and of course, (according to Dave’s email) “if you prefer to buy it from your local bookshop, it’s available through any bookstore, as well as all the familiar digital platforms.”
More from Dave:
A collection of twenty short stories, THE GILL MAN IN PURGATORY is my first work of fiction. It’s been seven years in the making. My past literary output has come in the form of poetry, but my sense of vocation as a writer has always included prose forms. Like most of you, my life is filled with chores, family obligations, teaching, and grading papers. So the writing comes in fits and starts. I’m always somewhat amazed and grateful when something reaches completion.
You can post comments here to let us know if you like Dave’s new book, or if you’re inclined, post your comments on Amazon or Goodreads.

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.

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

Search for New Laureate Underway

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The search is on for the next (third) Cupertino Poet Laureate. Please read about the position and download the form from the city’s website at this link.

Applications are due to the city by July 10, 2015. The new PL will be chosen this fall and start official duties in January 2016.

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The above photo is Dave Denny handing over the reins to me at my welcome ceremony in November 2013.

It’s a good gig — I recommend it —

Photos from Cupertino Library Anniversary Celebration

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I posted an album of these photos on Facebook, but for those of you who don’t “do” Facebook, here’s the best of the bunch. It was a great afternoon and I’m thankful to have been invited by the Cupertino Library Foundation and Library Commission.

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I decorated my booth with poems written by me and by winners of the Silicon Valley Reads contest (March 2014). I had magnetic poetry for folks to play with and my trusty golden poet laureate cup.

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I had some very special guests. Meeting the Cat in the Hat has always been a life long dream! Batman and I discussed poetry about bats. Former Cupertino Poet Laureate, David Denny, chatted up Darth Vader, who commented, that, although the Empire was not much of a poetical place, “I’ll have to think up some Imperial Haiku.”

I also had many community members drop by, play with the magnetic poetry, and create the own poems. Here is a sampling.

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I’m not sure why some of the poem photos are coming out sideways, but I guess that’s okay with poetry.  I also provided a game of “Exsquisite Corpse” and many people wrote lines. You can see the Imperial Storm Trooper above adding his. I’m working them all into a single poem, and will get that up here one of these days.

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It was a great day for the library and for poetry. I’m grateful (as always) to my supporters from the Library Foundation, the Library Commission and from the community. This time, especially to Bev Lenihan, Gayathri Kanth, and Adrian Kolb.

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One final shout out to my neighbor, Barbara Pollek, for making my fantastic Poet Laureate apron. It was the perfect gear for the day.

Loving Day Reading Photos

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Almost a month later, I’m finally getting around to posting photos.

The second in my series of “Unsung Holiday” poetry readings, the Loving Day reading (June 12, 2014) was a lovely event — we had a great turnout and the venue was perfect. Here is a photo of me with my featured readers, (left to right) Michael Cross, (yours truly, Jennifer Swanton Brown), Erica Goss, and Bob Dickerson.

I opened the reading with Natasha Trethewey‘s poem about her parents interracial marriage, “Early Evening, Frankfurt Kentucky” — which of course has the important quality of not mentioning their races. When she was born in 1966 her parents’ marriage was illegal in Mississippi. Her birth certificate listed her mother’s race as “Colored” and her father’s as “Canadian.”

This photo is “of me in my element” taken by my friend Ellen.

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The Euphrat Gallery at De Anza College is a great place for a poetry reading and the staff there were friendly, helpful, attentive and smart. Just what you need when you’re a nervous M.C.

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Joining Erica (second from the left) in this photo are (left to right) Amanda Williamsen, Dave Denny, and Adrian Kolb. Amanda (who was a featured reader at the April Fool’s Day event) read a riotous poem during our open mic session. Dave Denny, is of course, my friend and Cupertino’s first PL, and Adrian is a member of the Cupertino Library Commission and the captain of my Poetry Posse — without whom most Cupertino PL events would be a mess or non-existent.

Behind us is a whirling sculpture of nails — a remarkable work of art. I wish I had jotted down the name of that De Anza student artist.

April Fool’s Day Reading

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It was my great pleasure to read with Stephanie Pressman and Amanda Williamsen last night at the first of this year’s “Unsung Holiday” poetry readings. Stephanie took the theme of foolin’ around very seriously with her jester-ly costume and thought provoking philosophically tricky poems. Amanda made us all laugh with memories of our unfortunate teenage years and bad kitchen smells. There were four open-mic readers, which was pretty good considering the miserably rainy night. Thanks again to Peet’s for their generosity and warm space, and to my poetry “posse” (Roz, Kathy and Adrian) from the Cupertino Library Foundation, the Friends of the Cupertino Library, and the Cupertino Library Commission. Special thanks to Dave Denny — without whom I’m sure I would still be standing there fussing with the audio equipment — for the photos.

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Starting off the Poetry Exchange with David Denny

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To celebrate the first day of Poetry Month, I thought we should start with a poem by the first Cupertino Poet Laureate, David Denny. Read his poem “Fool in the Attic” where it was first published in the May 2007 journal Perspectives. If you’re interested in more of Dave’s work, you can buy his chapbook, Plebeian on the Front Porch at Finishing Line Press, or either of his books Fool in the Attic and Man Overboard: A Tale of Divine Compassion on Amazon.

Fool in the Attic

by David Denny

Go ahead, try to ignore him, that
gregarious wise guy in your head.
Try as you might to bring your body
under the discipline of the breath
and use it as a drill to dig a well
to the soul, again and again his
incessant chatter will haul the bucket
back to the surface. The Buddhists
call him Monkey Mind, recalling
the numbing scat of our hairy relatives
in the canopy as we walk through
the jungle of the post-modern world.

What he wants more than anything
is to see you climbing awkwardly
into the trees after him, narrowly
missing his tail as he leaps
from branch to wagging branch,
mocking you with his screeching
and wailing. Again and again
you must return your gaze back
to the path before you. Again and ever
again turning back, turning back,
imagining a Someday when the nerves
in your legs don’t ache to follow him.