Calling all local poetry enthusiasts!
As part of National Poetry Month, City College hosts a reading by Santa Barbara’s past and present poets laureate.
David Starkey, director of the creative writing program at City College, host of local TV show “The Creative Community” and poet laureate in 2009 and 2010, will host the event. The reading takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, April 19 in the Fé Bland Auditorium on West Campus. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
The night will feature all four past poets laureate as well as the city’s newest titleholder, Chryss Yost.
“I have so much respect for the other four poets,” said Yost, who was officially installed on April 9 during a ceremony at City Hall. “It’s a huge honor to share a stage with them.”
Aside from her most recent title, she works as an artist at UCSB Library, teaches poetry at the Santa Barbara Music & Arts Conservatory, and is the host of “Library Radio” on KCSB. She got her start at City College and fell in love with poetry upon transferring to UCSB.
Westmont professor Paul Willis, registered poetry therapist Perie Longo and Santa Barbara’s first poet laureate, Barry Spacks will join Starkey and Yost. This is the first time all five poets will be on stage together.
“We each have our various styles,” Starkey said. “I think it’ll be interesting to hear both how different all the poets are and also see if there’s a common thread throughout.”
Each poet will be given an opportunity to read from his or her works. Starkey will be reciting from his latest book “Circus Maximus,” which was inspired by leading a study abroad trip to Rome.
The poet laureate position was established in Santa Barbara in 2005 in order to celebrate poetry and raise community appreciation of the literary arts.
Every two years, the city welcomes open nominations for the position. Nominees are looked over by the Poet Laureate Review Committee. The committee passes its recommendation on to the Arts Commission, which then passes it on to city council members and the mayor, who make the ultimate decision.
“It’s an honor,” Starkey said of the position. “You feel like you’re the main focus of the poetry community for a couple years.
The elected poet laureate is responsible for promoting the city’s artistic achievements, composing poems for city events, getting involved with schools and workshops and being the spokesperson for the literary community.
Yost says she is really looking forward to work in Santa Barbara.
“I’d love to do some documenting so we can start to build a real poetic history in our community,” she said.
Starkey emphasized the importance of community and poetry.
“Poetry is one of those great surprises waiting out there for people,” Starkey said. “Sometimes we think of it as something really boring that we study in class but often times when you hear it in a new setting, it comes alive in a way you didn’t expect it to.”
He added, “and if you find someone’s poetry unappealing, they’ll be off the stage in ten to fifteen minutes.”
