Village Poets Welcome Sharon Alexander, Featured Poet on June 28, 2015

We are pleased to announce that California poet Sharon Alexander will feature at the upcoming Monthly Reading Series,  at Bolton Hall Museum 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga, CA 91042.  

Poets are welcome to sign-up for the open reading upon arrival.  Light refreshments will be served – a $3.00 donation is appreciated! 

SHARON ALEXANDER - BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in New York, Sharon Alexander now lives in Southern California. She divides her time between the mountains in Idyllwild and in the desert at the foot of the beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains east of Palm Springs.

Finishing Line Press released Sharon’s first collection of poetry, VOODOO TROMBONE, in 2014. Her work has appeared in various journals including Redheaded Stepchild, Slipstream, Pearl, Crate, Tiger’s Eye and Pinyon. In addition, her poetry in included in the following anthologies: Beyond the Lyric Moment; Woman in Metaphor; and The Poetry Box Anthology: Poeming Pigeons.

Sharon’s website can be found at: sharonalexanderpoetry.com

JADE RIVER

Before I became young again, I loaded my pockets with stones.

My legs tangled in fishing wire, I waded into the Jade River,

ignored familiar voices that urged me not to go.

There is no persuading the wave

not to break, the widow not to weep. 

And so the Jade River had no mercy.

Once, I was a washerwoman. Hands

of rough bark, my back a crooked tree, kneeling

on cold rock, pounding linens to white.

I danced to banjos and guitars, tapping my feet

on dusty floors.  All I hear now is the slap

of sheet on stone.

Once, I was wed in white, led to the marriage chamber,

left in darkness alone.  When the morning sun lit our bed,

my husband was gone. 

And later the red sheet hung in plain sight. 

And later I went down to the Jade River

to scrub away my shame.

I return this last time to my place beside the river, hold many lives

in my hands. At the widest point where the current runs swift,

I release all I was to white water, empty my pockets of stones.

On mornings like this, the river shines with a strange

green light as though all the stones beneath the water

          were aglow.

by Sharon Alexander

BLOOD SEASON

my body

a ticking wire                    

anchored to the belly

of the world     

all the circuits sing

all the blood tides rip

and every pulse

an hour gone

every breath

a year in flight

my hair was dark and long

I walked with lovers in sin and grace

my voice a river

carving time

and for a minute

I believed

the star-strewn sky

blinked at me

and for an hour

I believed the blood season

was eternity

my body a torch

a flaming arrow

madly singing

to the river’s insistent tide

Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez in Tujunga 

Luis J. Rodriguez gave a reading at Tujunga Branch of Los Angeles Public Library and the Village Poets welcomed him on May 23, 2015: Dorothy Skiles, Marlene Hitt, Joe DeCenzo, and Maja Trochimczyk. Elsa Frausto who organized the reading could not attend but was present through her poems. 

"Woman in Metaphor" Reading on January 26 and Poet Laureate Applications Due on January 31

WOMAN IN METAPHOR - MARIA ELENA B. MAHLER FEATURES ON JANUARY 26, 2014

The first reading of Village Poets in 2014 will be dedicated to the presentation of a new poetry-and-art book edited by Maria Elena B. Mahler.  The reading will take place on Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. and will include two segments of Open Mike - before and after the featured group reading, as well as refreshments.  

Dancer Upstairs with Marie Anne Favreau - by Stephen Linsteadt

About "Woman in Metaphor"

Poet and editor, Maria Elena B. Mahler, collected twenty-seven poems from twenty-seven accomplished, published, and award winning poets from different parts of the world. She invited them to write a poem based on one of StephenLinsteadt's paintings; paintings he created over the last thirty-five years.

The book contains an introduction and essay by Lois P. Jones, host of Pacifica Radio’s “Poet’s Café” (KPFK, Los Angeles 90.7 fm), and co-producer of the Moonday poetry reading series in Santa Monica. Lois is a four-time Pushcart nominee, and the winner of the 2012 Tiferet Poetry Prize and the 2012 Liakoura Prize. About this collection of art and poetry, Lois explains:

"When Stephen Linsteadt embarked on his metaphoric journey, he was striving toward a deeper sense of conception. If art implies a desire for the sacred it is, as Eckhart Tolle suggests, a portal or an access point which ultimately leads you to yourself. It is this portal that bids we enter, freely and without agenda. Each of the twenty-seven writers in Woman in Metaphor, all of various ages and beliefs – practiced poets or sensitive observer, transversed this threshold, returning with their own compelling visions."
 

Beyond Words by Stephen Linsteadt

"The artwork alone is worth the price of the anthology and the same can be said for the poetry. However, if you are expecting the usual classical female figure studies or poetry that sings the songs of love, requited or otherwise, this is not for you. Woman in Metaphor is not just about gender, it is an analysis of the meaning gender and all of the spiritual dimensions that it comprises. The poetry and art combine to give us what any great work of art strives for – a new way of envisioning a topic." - From a review by Ed Bennett in Quill and Parchment  Read more>>


List of Poets included in "Woman in Metaphor"

“Woman in Metaphor” is a global community of poets from diverse countries, including Argentina, Chile, Germany, Poland, England, Spain, and a Native American. Pushcart Prize nominees include: Lia Brooks, Lois P. Jones, Sharmagne Leland-St. John, Susan Rogers, and Marci Vogel. Other award winning poets include Katrina Naomi (Templar Poetry Competition), Kate Kingston (The Ruth Stone Prize, the Atlanta Review International Publication Prize, and the Colorado Council on the Arts Literary Fellowship in Poetry). Russell Thorburn is the current poet laureate of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Other published poets include: Sharon Alexander, Nancy Scott Campbell, Elsa S. Frausto, Anita Harmon, David Dodd Lee, Sylvia Linsteadt, Genie Nakano, Dean Pasch, Mary Kay Rummel, Maja Trochimczyk, Mel Weisburd, M.J. Whistler, Kath Abela Wilson, and Mariano Zaro. And the new voices of Meg Cox, Indiana Jane Linsteadt, and Taylor Wade.

The book's editor, Maria Elena B Mahler, is a poet whose work has been published in English and Spanish in Badlands, Solstice, Quill & Parchment, Global Alchemy, Saint Julian Press and Poets on Site. She was a finalist for the 2011 San Francisco-based Primer Concurso de Poesía Latinoamericana en Español, and is published in the anthology by Colectivo Verso Activo. Recently, her work was also selected for the Spanish anthology Se Buscan Quijotes, published by El Centro de Estudios Poéticos in Madrid, Spain. Maria Elena also co-authored the non-fiction book The Heart of Health (Truth Publishing Co.) and also enjoys writing fiction. She was raised in the South of Chile. After graduating with a degree in Communications, she lived and worked in Mexico and Canada, and finally settled in the Sonoran Desert of Southern California in 2003.

The painter, Stephen Linsteadt was featured at Bolton Hall Museum as a poet in 2012. Stephen Linsteadt is a painter, poet, and writer. He is the co-author of The Heart of Health; the Principles of Physical Health and Vitality. His latest book is titled Scalar Heart Connection. His poetry is published in Moments of the Soul (Spirit First), Solstice, Cradle Songs (Quill & Parchment Press), Saint Julian Press, Poets on Site, and others. His paintings have appeared in Reed Magazine, Badlands Literary Journal, and Birmingham Arts Journal and can be seen at StephenLinsteadt.com.

POET LAUREATE OF SUNLAND TUJUNGA

We are seeking candidates for the position of Poet Laureate of Sunland Tujunga. The current Poet Laureate ends her term in April, with the final solo reading in February (see the Calendar of Readings Page).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

 1) All applicants must be at least 18 years old and active members of the Sunland-Tujunga community. The candidates should be residents of Sunland or Tujunga (which includes Shadow Hills - zip codes 91040 and 91042). They must show a history of active interest in the local community. 
 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. 

 HOW TO APPLY

 Please download, print and return the attached application form (PDF) from the website: www.villagepoets.com/apply.html. 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 $10.00 made out to McGroarty Arts Center and send to: McGroarty Arts Center, Poet Laureate Applicant 7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga CA 91042 

 If you have questions regarding the Poet Laureate program call Marlene Hitt at (818) 951-1041, or email to poetlaureate@mcgroartyartscenter.org. Please check our website www.villagepoets.com or our blog villagepoets.blogspot.com for further poetry information. 

POET LAUREATE DUTIES 

 Becoming Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga is not only a great honor it is a commitment to the community. The Poet Laureate is expected to use his or her talents and means to make the community more aware of poetry. While there are no specified duties that are assigned, the Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga is expected to hold a reasonable public presence in the community. Each Poet Laureate provides community service according to his or her special skills. In the past, Sunland-Tujunga Laureates have read poetry at community events and public schools; they have also written commemorative poems and created programs for the Arts, given speeches and readings. Each Laureate has produced at least one book during his or her term in office. 

 DEADLINES AND THE TIMELINE

 January 1 to 31, 2014 - Application Period 
 January 31, 2014 - Application DEADLINE for all applicant’s materials (postmark) 
 February 20, 2014 - Notification of Finalists by mail, email or phone (postmark) March 2, 2014 - Interviews and Readings of Finalists In-person Interviews and Readings of Finalists before the Committee, at Bolton Hall Museum in Tujunga (attendance is required for all finalists) 
 March 15, 2014 - Notifications Notifications of the Poet Laureate for 2014 - 2016 by phone, email or mail (postmark) 
 April 27, 2014 - Passing of the Laurels Ceremony at the McGroarty Arts Center, 7570 McGroarty Terrace, Tujunga CA 91042 

Happy Holidays! The New Year with Maria Elena B. Mahler and "Woman in Metaphor" on January 26, 2014

The last Poetry Reading of 2013 at Bolton Hall Museum was held on November 26, 2013 and featured Ed Rosenthal, poet and Susan Dobay, artist. With best wishes for a lovely holiday season, and happy and healthy New Year 2014, we'd like to share another of Dobay's Visual Interpretations of Music.

Village Poets: L to R. Seated: Maja Trochimczyk, Kathabela Wilson, Justin Kibbe, Susan Dobay, Ed Rosenthal, and Joe Decenzo. Standing: Dorothy Skiles, Endre Dobay, Rick Wilson, Chris Wesley, Sharon Hawley, Don Krotser, Peter Larsen, Pam Shea,Alice Pero,  Janet Nippell, Mari Werner, and Marlene Hitt. November 26, 2013, Bolton Hall Museum. 





WOMAN IN METAPHOR - MARIA ELENA B. MAHLER FEATURES ON JANUARY 26, 2014

The first reading of Village Poets in 2014 will be dedicated to the presentation of a new poetry-and-art book edited by Maria Elena B. Mahler.  The reading will take place on Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. and will include two segments of Open Mike - before and after the featured group reading, as well as refreshments.  

Dancer Upstairs with Marie Anne Favreau - by Stephen Linsteadt

About "Woman in Metaphor"

Poet and editor, Maria Elena B. Mahler, collected twenty-seven poems from twenty-seven accomplished, published, and award winning poets from different parts of the world. She invited them to write a poem based on one of StephenLinsteadt's paintings; paintings he created over the last thirty-five years.

The book contains an introduction and essay by Lois P. Jones, host of Pacifica Radio’s “Poet’s Café” (KPFK, Los Angeles 90.7 fm), and co-producer of the Moonday poetry reading series in Santa Monica. Lois is a four-time Pushcart nominee, and the winner of the 2012 Tiferet Poetry Prize and the 2012 Liakoura Prize. About this collection of art and poetry, Lois explains:

"When Stephen Linsteadt embarked on his metaphoric journey, he was striving toward a deeper sense of conception. If art implies a desire for the sacred it is, as Eckhart Tolle suggests, a portal or an access point which ultimately leads you to yourself. It is this portal that bids we enter, freely and without agenda. Each of the twenty-seven writers in Woman in Metaphor, all of various ages and beliefs – practiced poets or sensitive observer, transversed this threshold, returning with their own compelling visions."
 

Beyond Words by Stephen Linsteadt

"The artwork alone is worth the price of the anthology and the same can be said for the poetry. However, if you are expecting the usual classical female figure studies or poetry that sings the songs of love, requited or otherwise, this is not for you. Woman in Metaphor is not just about gender, it is an analysis of the meaning gender and all of the spiritual dimensions that it comprises. The poetry and art combine to give us what any great work of art strives for – a new way of envisioning a topic." - From a review by Ed Bennett in Quill and Parchment  Read more>>


List of Poets included in "Woman in Metaphor"

“Woman in Metaphor” is a global community of poets from diverse countries, including Argentina, Chile, Germany, Poland, England, Spain, and a Native American. Pushcart Prize nominees include: Lia Brooks, Lois P. Jones, Sharmagne Leland-St. John, Susan Rogers, and Marci Vogel. Other award winning poets include Katrina Naomi (Templar Poetry Competition), Kate Kingston (The Ruth Stone Prize, the Atlanta Review International Publication Prize, and the Colorado Council on the Arts Literary Fellowship in Poetry). Russell Thorburn is the current poet laureate of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Other published poets include: Sharon Alexander, Nancy Scott Campbell, Elsa S. Frausto, Anita Harmon, David Dodd Lee, Sylvia Linsteadt, Genie Nakano, Dean Pasch, Mary Kay Rummel, Maja Trochimczyk, Mel Weisburd, M.J. Whistler, Kath Abela Wilson, and Mariano Zaro. And the new voices of Meg Cox, Indiana Jane Linsteadt, and Taylor Wade.

The book's editor, Maria Elena B Mahler, is a poet whose work has been published in English and Spanish in Badlands, Solstice, Quill & Parchment, Global Alchemy, Saint Julian Press and Poets on Site. She was a finalist for the 2011 San Francisco-based Primer Concurso de Poesía Latinoamericana en Español, and is published in the anthology by Colectivo Verso Activo. Recently, her work was also selected for the Spanish anthology Se Buscan Quijotes, published by El Centro de Estudios Poéticos in Madrid, Spain. Maria Elena also co-authored the non-fiction book The Heart of Health (Truth Publishing Co.) and also enjoys writing fiction. She was raised in the South of Chile. After graduating with a degree in Communications, she lived and worked in Mexico and Canada, and finally settled in the Sonoran Desert of Southern California in 2003.

The painter, Stephen Linsteadt was featured at Bolton Hall Museum as a poet in 2012. Stephen Linsteadt is a painter, poet, and writer. He is the co-author of The Heart of Health; the Principles of Physical Health and Vitality. His latest book is titled Scalar Heart Connection. His poetry is published in Moments of the Soul (Spirit First), Solstice, Cradle Songs (Quill & Parchment Press), Saint Julian Press, Poets on Site, and others. His paintings have appeared in Reed Magazine, Badlands Literary Journal, and Birmingham Arts Journal and can be seen at StephenLinsteadt.com.