Category Archives: Laureate’s News

Where to find out what I’m up to.

by | November 12, 2012 · 4:27 am

News this week: 2 events and Save the Date!

A busy week ahead for the Poet Laureate. First, I’ll be attending the Montalvo Arts Center event, “Feast of the Idea,” and reading one of the poems I wrote while in residency there. The event will be a conversation among special guests led by Montalvo Culinary Fellow Niki Ford. Anyone interested in sustainability and “how our internal and external environments relate to our sense of wellness” feel free to attend. Wednesday, November 14, 7pm, in the Carriage House Theater.

The following evening, this Thursday, November 15, I’ll be the Featured Reader at Poetry Center San Jose’s “Reading at Willow Glen” series (scroll down at the link), hosted by the inimitable Dennis and Christine Richardson and followed by an open mic! If you’re interested in hearing some of my recent as well as older work, please join me there, and bring along a poem of your own to read, one you’ve written or one you admire. I’m looking forward to reading with the home crowd.

LASTLY, but not leastly, please SAVE THE DATE, Thursday evening, December 6 for a special December Favorite Poems Reading featuring voices from around the world. Selected readers will share a poem in an original language and in its English translation. Full publicity to follow, but the reading will be held at Stevens Creek Barnes&Noble at 7pm.

I have the delightful privilege of posting this to you from my daughter and new son-in-law’s guest room in Brooklyn, New York where all is well and where we enjoyed an equally delightful 60 degree sunny Sunday. The world is a wild and whacky place, frequently wonderful, and I don’t mind if you quote me as saying so.

We do not forget those in nearby communities who are still without power, shelter, or home.

See you soon~

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

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by | October 30, 2012 · 3:19 am

4 out of 5 isn’t bad: Missing Nils Peterson!

The photographer got around to taking a picture after Sunday’s 5 poets laureate reading(see post below) a few minutes late and a Poet Laureate short, but here are the rest of us, and a solo of that good looking Nils Peterson, below.

Parthenia Hicks, current Los Gatos Laureate; Connie Post, former Livermore Laureate; Dave Denny, current Cupertino Laureate; Yrz Truly, current Santa Clara County Poet Laureate.

And, Nils Peterson, former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate indeed:

And our eloquent hostess with the Mostest, Erica Goss~

Wish you were there!

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate
(note: photos courtesy Vicki Harvey & Lesa Medley)

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by | October 26, 2012 · 4:07 pm

More than you can shake a stick at: 5 poets laureate

Join us this Sunday at Stevens Creek Barnes&Noble as we read our poems about  Fall. Bring your own for the open mic that follows~

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by | October 24, 2012 · 2:49 am

Official commendation: Kevin Arnold

from left: Supervisor Shirakawa, Supervisor Wasserman, Kevin’s friend Larry Moody, Kevin, his wife Carol, moi, Nils Peterson, Supervisor Kniss, Supervisor Yeager, and Supervisor Cortese

I had the privilege of attending the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor’s official commendation of Kevin Arnold for his years of dedicated service as president of Poetry Center San Jose and for his contributions to the life of literature and the arts in the county. A bit of pomp and circumstance is a great way to salute someone’s time and talent, and I was so pleased to see Kevin honored.

Yes, 9 a.m. was a tad early, so for those of you who couldn’t make it, I thought I’d pass along the photo above as my own sort of tribute. Here, too, is a picture of the official document. Kevin will have it on display at his reception next month, something not to miss.

Signed and Sealed

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

p.s. If you squint just right you can see Kevin himself reflected in the glass above!

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by | October 21, 2012 · 11:23 pm

News you can use: from the Poet Laureate

Greetings on a chilly fall afternoon! I have two important announcements for you and the poetry community at large, so spread the word.

First, long-time Poetry Center San Jose president Kevin Arnold is being honored upon his retirement with two events. This Tuesday, October 23 at 9a.m., he will receive a commendation from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The meeting is open to the public and will be held in Board Chambers, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110. There is usually street parking. Let’s give him a strong turn-out in honor of his years of service to poetry and the larger poetry community of the Bay Area.

Kevin also will  be celebrated at an afternoon reception, Sunday, November 18 where he will give a reading from his work amid toasts and good cheer. Event details and ticket info can be found at the Poetry Center San Jose website. Tickets must be purchased by November 11. I hope to see you there.

Second, (yes, I know it’s actually third), applications for Santa Clara County Poet Laureate are being accepted through November 19th. If you are interested or know of someone who might be, please take note. Candidates should have a record of publication as well as some history of public service to the literary community. Full details can be found at the county’s website.

My term runs through the end of March, 2013, so have no fear. I’m not through yet!

Thirdly/Fourthly, (poet’s don’t need to be good at numbers), I’ll be making more regular announcements of upcoming events here, so stay tuned. Otherwise, keep an eye on the “Laureate Schedule” at the link above. I have been a busy Poet Laureate and would love to see more of you at these events.

Be seeing you soon,

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

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by | September 12, 2012 · 2:18 am

In Memory: The Names by Billy Collins

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by | September 10, 2012 · 12:49 am

Writing off the cuff: Is there ever any other way?

Poet Laureate typing on Erica Goss’ grandmother’s manual typewriter during last Friday’s South First Art Walk event in San Jose.

I had a lot of fun at the Poetry Center San Jose/Poets and Writers Coalition collaborative event, Writing Off the Cuff. Passersby to this outdoor booth, part of the monthly First Friday event, were offered on-the-spot, off-the-cuff, not-so-hot (just kidding!) ad lib poems composed by a great team of volunteer poets from both organizations. Each poet rose to the challenge to compose a poem by request within 10-15 minutes.

Handwritten poems were then typed up. That’s where I came in. I’m a pretty fast typer–so fast that I kept jamming keys and forgetting that I had to manually return the carriage, my right baby finger swinging mid-air in search of a nonexistent return key.  But otherwise, it was just like getting back on a bicycle; you just know what to do.

I wanted to let you know that I’ll be reading with a group of poets in Saratoga next Sunday during the “Afternoon with Senator Phelan,” celebration the town has planned. More details can be found here, and it looks like we’ll begin the reading around 3pm outside the Saratoga History Museum. Big Basin Way will be closed!, so perhaps you’d take the shuttle from West Valley College. Poets will be preceded by  a reader’s theatre “production” of a reporter interviewing Senator Phelan. This should be fun…

Maybe I’ll see you there~

Also check the calendars at PCSJ, and San Jose State’s Center for Literary Arts. There are so many events this season that you’ll actually have to decide which to attend. How wonderful.

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

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by | August 11, 2012 · 7:15 pm

July Hiatus: My Daughter’s Wedding

August 5, 2012

While I have been absent here, I have been a very busy Mother of the Bride this past month in preparation of our daughter Susannah’s wedding last Sunday in our backyard. What a beautiful, memorable day~a living poem!

After all the guests have departed-to Ireland, New York, Texas- I am settling back into a few slow days to reflect and get back up to speed. Enjoy the weekend, the lovely summer days, and we’ll get back down to poetry business before long. Promise.

Sally Ashton
Poet Laureate

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by | June 19, 2012 · 2:54 am

I’m b-a-a-a-ack: Poet Laureate returns

What a wonderful time I enjoyed as an artist in residence at the Lucas Artist Residency Program at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga these past 2+ weeks. After a fairly intense past year, I found it a remarkable experience to step out of that skin and simply read, write, and reflect, the essential work of a poet. It was truly a time of renewal. And I got a lot done.

Besides writing and reading, I did spend some time imagining what might be next in terms of Poet Laureate projects for the residents of Santa Clara County. I’ve got a couple of ideas I’m contemplating, but best finish up our Favorite Poem postings, don’t you agree? Some of you have been waiting an awfully long time for the end of the alphabet!

So, stay tuned for developing news later this summer. . .and hey, summer hasn’t even officially begun until this Wednesday, June 20th, the summer solstice. Do you have plans to celebrate?

The entire summer lies ahead. How wonderful.

Favorite Poem postings to resume tomorrow. Cheers!

Sally Ashton
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

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by | June 9, 2012 · 5:34 pm

Mr. Rogers: The garden of your mind

From my garden at Montalvo to yours. Keep growing!

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