Dorothy Skiles - Farewell Reading of Poet Laureate, February 23, 2014

The Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga are pleased to announce that Dorothy Skiles, long time resident and Sunland-Tujunga’s Poet Laureate 2012-2014 will be featuring at the upcoming Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga’s Monthly Poetry Reading Series, Sunday, February 23, 2014, 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga, CA 91042.

Dorothy’s poetry reading will be accompanied by photos of her travels with her husband, Bill Skiles, amateur photographer and also a long time resident of Sunland-Tujunga. Dorothy is the President of the Village Poets of Sunland-Tujunga.

Since May 2010, Village Poets have sponsored monthly poetry readings, inviting well established poets from Los Angeles, the foothills, and beyond. These events are a meeting place for the community and poets alike to gather and enjoy an afternoon of poetry. Routinely, there are two open reading segments welcoming new or seasoned poets who want to share their work.

 Over the last 17 years, Dorothy has been involved in the local poetry scene and her poems appeared in a variety of community publications. She is a long time member of the Sunland-Tujunga Chuparosa Writers, and has published several chapbooks including: The Sidewalk Gallery (1979), Ear to Earth (1996), Spine Flower Blues (1999) - a collaborative work by the Chuparosa Writers, and  Riddle in the Rain (2003) – collaborative work with Marlene Hitt. She also has poems in Meditation on Divine Names, edited by Maja Trochimczyk (Moonrise Press 2012), and From Benicia With Love, edited by Don Peery (Accent Digital Publishing, Redding CA 2013).

 In 2013, Dorothy served on the Bolton Hall Centennial Committee that planned numerous celebratory events commemorating the 100th year dedication of Bolton Hall. She currently serves on the Verdugo Hills YMCA Senior Advisory Board, as well as facilitating a monthly “Y” Poetry Group. She also enjoys sharing her poetry with seniors at Sunland Park Senior Citizen Center. Dorothy is an active member of the Lutheran Church in the Foothills, and has brought poetry to various church events, including facilitating an “Evening of Poetry” event in September 2013. Dorothy is also an active member of P.E.O (Philanthropic Educational Organization) which promotes educational opportunities for women.