Village Poets of Sunland Tujunga present
SHAHE MANKERIAN
Featured Poet at Village Poets Monthly Reading
at Tujunga's Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave. Tujunga, CA 91042
Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 4:30 p.m.
Shahé Mankerian is the principal of St. Gregory Alfred and Marguerite Hovsepian School in Pasadena and the co-director of the Los Angeles Writing Project. As an educator, he has been honored with the Los Angeles Music Center's BRAVO Award, which recognizes teachers for innovation and excellence in arts education.
His poems have won Honorable Mentions in 2011 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award and Arts & Letters Journal of Contemporary Culture. Shahé was a Semi-Finalist for the Knightville Poetry Contest. He was the first place winner of 2012 "Black and White" anthology series from Outrider Press.
Mankerian's most recent manuscript, History of Forgetfulness, has been a finalist at four prestigious competitions: the 2013 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition, the 2103 Bibby First Book Competition, the Quercus Review Press, Fall Poetry Book Award, 2013, and the 2014 White Pine Press Poetry Prize. His poems have been published in numerous literary magazines.
Writer's Block at Father's Grocery Store
Coarse coffee grinds took the color
of Medusa's hair. A pound of garbanzo
weighed less than Nabokov's Lolita.
A bag of pita felt softer than Juliet's
pillow before suicidal Romeo. I wrote
countless villanelles on paper bags
before stuffing them with cans of dolma,
bottled rose water, and pouches
of Aleppo pepper. I thought I saw
the Karamazov Brothers tasting Kalamata
olives. Sometimes I sat on cardboard
boxes full of fava beans and daydreamed
about Anne Sexton. I couldn't write
because Father called me back to work.
Madame Bovary wanted two pounds
of French ham sliced thinner than lined paper.
*The Indian River Review / April 2016
The music feature at the October 23 Reading will be an acoustic duet Shandy and Eva, hailing from Poland and the Caribbean.
SHANDY AND EVA
Shandrelica and Eva met at the Los Angeles College of Music where they started the band. The most interesting part of it all is that Shandrelica Casper is from the Caribbean (Curacao) and Eva (Ewa) Zmijewska is from Poland.
Shandy&Eva are an acoustic duet performing their originals and covers. They play a variety of styles from country to pop to jazz standards. Despite different musical backgrounds their blend is unique.
They do not say much about their music, except listing some influences that will give you an idea of what their sound is like: Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy, Keb Mo, Celine Dion, March Anthony, Lady Antebellum.
Facebook page:
Website:
A sample song:
APPLY TO BECOME OUR NEW POET-LAUREATE 2017-2019
Applications are now available to become the next Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga, for the years 2017-2019. The deadline is January 15, 2017.
The Poet Laureate as a community leader should be comfortable with public speaking, appearances and interviews and should be able to speak clearly and capably. We seek a person whose life and works reflect a love of our area which includes the flora, fauna, mountains, creeks and our diverse human community. This is a person who is the voice of our community, a cheerleader, a person whose words give wings to the heart of Sunland and Tujunga. During his/her term in office the Poet Laureate is encouraged to publish a collection of his or her works, as in a chapbook, for historical documentation.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
1) All applicants must be at least 18 years old and active members of the local poetry community. The candidates should be residents of the Foothills, from Lake View Terrace to La Canada Flintridge, inclusive of Sunland, Tujunga, Shadow Hills, La Crescenta and Montrose. They must show a history of active interest in the local community and will be expected to actively engage with the community activities of Village Poets.
2) All applicants must be able to demonstrate an active participation in poetry activities through publication and/or featured poetry readings.
3) The applicants must agree to serve as Poet Laureate for a term of two years, including volunteer activities, poetry readings, publications, and other projects contributing to the promotion of poetry and the arts in the community.
4) The Poet-Laureate of Sunland Tujunga must commit himself/herself to attending the Passing of the Laurels Ceremony on April 23, 2017, as well as a similar ceremony at the end of the term in office, in April 2019. The Poet-Laureate must also demonstrate an engagement with the local poetry community by attending at least six of the eleven monthly readings organized each year by Village Poets in Tujunga, CA.
HOW TO APPLY
Please download, print and return the application form (PDF) from Villagepoets.com website: Application 2016. Attach the following:
1. List of publications and featured readings
2. Sample of poetry (approx. five poems, with two about Sunland-Tujunga)
3. History of community service.
4. One paragraph discussing a favorite poet.
5. One paragraph describing how you as Poet Laureate would promote poetry.
Submit the Application form with a sample of poems, other items 1-5 from the above list and a check for $15.00 made out to Little Landers Historical Society (LLHS, with Village Poets of Sunland Tujunga noted on the check), and send the package to:
Poet Laureate Selection Committee
c/o Marlene Hitt
10728 Plateau Drive
Sunland, CA 91040.
If you have questions regarding the Poet Laureate program call Marlene Hitt at (818) 951-1041, or email Maja Trochimczyk, at maja@moonrisepress.com.
Please check our website www.villagepoets.com for further information.
Maja Trochimczyk becomes ST Poet Laureate No. 6 in 2010,
with Joe DeCenzo, Poet Laureate No. 4 during Passing of the Laurels Ceremony
at McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga
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