Michael Sedano
 |
| Pauli Dutton |
Altadena librarian, Pauli Dutton, invited a handful of local poets to read their work and share refreshments in a small intimate gathering. That was the first Poetry & Cookies. On Saturday, May 17, Altadena Library, and its Co-Poets Laureate, Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon, hosted the 25th gathering of poets to read their work at Poetry & Cookies 2025.
Dutton’s initial years hosting P&C featured a spiral bound collection of the year’s readers. The relatively informal program grew to appoint a Poet Laureate, then Co-Poets Laureate, to host readings and publish the works as a retitled book, the Altadena Poetry Review Anthology (link).
January’s Eaton Fire devoured Altadena but the fire didn’t stop life as we know it, nor poetry. Indeed, the Laureates extended the deadline for the Online edition so poets could submit fire poems. But the fire has delayed the process of editing the journal and, at the 2025 Poetry & Cookies reading, the Laureates announced August as the publication date for this year’s Online Edition of Altadena Poetry Review Anthology.
Golden Foothills Press has published the most recent volumes of the anthology. La Bloga spoke with the publisher, Thelma T. Reyna, herself an Altadena Poet Laureate Emerita, about the publication process.
The Laureates issue the Call for Poetry in late Summer, early Fall. The poems arrive until January when the editing process begins. There are always glitches when mail and email systems fail, and disorganized or confused writers have questions and issues.
There’s some truth in the rude belief that organizing poets is like herding cats. Receiving poems is only part of the submission process. Getting biographies and photos from the selected-to-be-published poets takes on the look of feline shepherding.
Organizing contents consumes weeks to find the most elegant sequence of poems. Then the book designer steps in to layout the print and covers. When the artist is involved, the book is nearly ready to go to the printer and it’s time to schedule Poetry & Cookies and the anthology release.
This thumbnail sketch of the editor’s and publisher’s calendar only hints at the amount of labor that lies ahead for Lester Graves Lennon, who will edit Altadena Poetry Review Anthology 2026.
Lennon, along with Co-Poet Laureate Sehba Sarwar, must have breathed sighs of joy and relief as their first year’s service culminated at this year’s Poetry & Cookies reading. Now begins the year of the book.
 |
| Altadena Poet Laureate Lester Graves Lennon |
 |
| Altadena Poet Laureate Sehba Sarwar |
Poetry & Cookies Readers
 |
| Altadena Library District Director Nikki Winslow |
 |
| Roberta H. Martinez |
 |
| Toti O'Brien |
 |
| Thelma T. Reyna |
 |
| Richard Dutton |
 |
| Seven Dhar |
 |
| Alicia Viguer-Espert |
 |
| Carla Sameth and Sehba Sarwar, Laureate-emerita and current Co-Laureate |
2 comments:
Thank you for this review of our Altadena poetry community's beloved annual reading event, Poetry & Cookies, and its long history under the visionary leadership of its founder, former longtime Altadena Public Library Head Librarian, Pauline (Pauli) Dutton. How befitting to start the article with a photo of Pauli, herself a distinguished poet!
La Bloga's support of local poets and literary events has been an important factor in their visibility, success, and longevity. Thank you, Michael Sedano, for all your work, your thoroughness and the superb photography.
Thank you Michael for explaining the laborious process of publishing and for including all of us. A most appreciated effort. 🙏🏻
Post a Comment