Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025
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| AWC 2025 Honorees Teresa Kuskey, Melinda Palacio, Adriana Arriaga, Frances Moore, and JoAnne Wasserman |
On May 21, the culmination of much hard work from the Association for Women in Communication resulted in a lively awards luncheon. I’m not saying this because I was one of the honorees, but I was impressed by how much work went into the program. It was a marathon. Preparing for the moment involved more than simply showing up to receive an award. The program was in May and the organizers get to work on next year’s event as early as the previous summer, they choose a theme and decide on the honorees.
It was in September when Judith Smith-Meyer asked for my email on Instagram. She said she’d like to reach out about AWC-SB Women of Achievement program 2025. Judith is someone that I met through AWC and we had a few friends in common. I had let my membership to AWC lapse because I wasn’t able to make any of the events. When Judith contacted me though social media, I suspected she wanted me to write a poem for the event or for the honorees. I was humbled and had to reread her subsequent email several times to realize she wanted to honor me.
This is one of the reasons why I am still on social media. You never know who is watching the positive things you do for the community or who is taking note of how you document yourself online. This year’s theme for the Women of Achievement Awards is communication through the arts.
Preparations for receiving the award included things you would expect, such as providing a head shot and a curriculum vitae, but also some unusual requests, such as baby pictures, along with professional photos. There was also a day spent at Judith’s home making the videos that introduced our work. These videos ran on social media and also on the big screen at the awards luncheon.
Last, there was the preparation of a poem and a song. I performed a poem from my first poetry collection, How Fire Is a Story, Waiting. I also played the companion song I wrote so people would know that when I am not writing poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, I am writing songs.
In addition to being honored by such an important organization that celebrates women in communication, I was impressed with the amount of time volunteered by co-chairs of the awards Judith Smith-Meyer and Brooke Holland who have dedicated the past two years, honoring 11 women in education (2024) and the arts (2025).
Next year, Judith and Brooke will pass the chair position to another AWC board member. “I’m proud to have been able to honor the 9 incredible communications (educators and artists-community builders) fetured in the 16th and 17th Women of Achievement,” said Judith Smith-Meyer.
Sometimes when your worlds collide, it’s a pleasant surprise. This year’s Women of Achievement honorees included artist Adriana Arriaga, Teresa Kuskey, Frances Moore, and JoAnne Wasserman, Music Director and Conductor of the Santa Barbara Choral Society since 1993.
Adriana’s artwork was displayed throughout the Cabrillo Pavilion and stickers of three of her works were offered as parting gifts for attendees to the luncheon. Adriana’s work is inspired by the Chicano Movement of the 1960’s. I love her piece titled, MUJER CON FUERZA (Woman with Power). Her work is currently featured in the Arte del Pueblo 2025 exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara in Paseo Nuevo. The exhibition runs through July 27, 2025.
Frances Moore brought a troupe to perform Ring Shout, a tradition of African enslaved people of call and response, a spiritual style of worship, known as Call and Response, that is also a precursor to the Blues. Frances is also a founding member of the Santa Barbara Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee.
Teresa Kuskey started La Boheme Dance in 2014, the group that spreads joy through dance and their feathered costumes. La Boheme has been honored with multiple Independent “Best of Santa Barbara” awards. Teresa has also earned a Santa Barbara Local Hero honor from the Indpendent for her early commitment to creating performance opportunites for the community regardless of age, experience, ability to pay, or any other barrier to participate. I heard the bathroom’s mirror was a sight to see as dancers adjusted headdresses and makeup throughout the luncheon.
JoAnne Wasserman has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Santa Barbara Choral Society since 1993. A career feat that translates to over 32 seasons with The Choral Society and numerous collaborations with operak and ballet companies, as well as global connections. When the plan to include a performance by the Choral Society fell through, Judith scrambled and turned to longtime friend, Meg Miller, a member of the Ladies’ Social Strumming Club. I happen to be a member of the group so it was fun to jump in and join them for the musical welcome to the awards luncheon. The other surprise was in my gift bag.
In addition to the commendations from city, county, and state officials, there was a plaque from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara, thanking me for my support of the Essay and Poetry Awards over the past decade. Frances Moore, also received a plaque for her work with the MLK SB. Executive Director, E. Onja Brown also sat at my table, along with Meg Miller, Stephanie B. Hammer, Ward Rafferty, Kristen Sneddon, and Mary Rose and Eddie Ortega. What an honor! The last time a Poet Laureate received an AWC- Woman of Achievement Award was in 2012 with Perie Longo, City of Santa Barbara’s second Poet Laureate.
This award is meaningful to me because it reminds me that I am uplifted by my female ancestors. I know my mother and grandmothers are beaming from their celestial perch. Much gratitude to the Association for Women in Communications, Santa Barbara.
This week’s Poetry Connection Poem celebrates Pride Month with a poem by West Hollywood Poet Laureate, Jen Cheng. This Sapphic poem appears in her collection, Braided Spaces.
postmodern sapphos
Jen Cheng
eager lush magnolia flowers blossom
seek admirers loving the lazy sunday
ready bagels, cream cheese, and mango lassi
newspapers open
hear the cozy morning doves coo and flutter
open windows joining the neighbors’ passion
bring on lilts and harmonies sing with pride for
memories later
fluid inspiration that slides from side to
side unfettered gender-free roles that further
child’s play with privileged toys to harness
liberty’s pleasure
Jen Cheng is the Poet Laureate of West Hollywood, author of a poetry collection Braided Spaces, a California Arts Council Fellow, and a Tin House Workshop alumna. She is a multidisciplinary artist who blends East-West influences as Feng Shui Poetry. Jen is the creator and facilitator of Palabras Literary Salon, a BIPOC-centered series. She is the creator of an interactive sculpture, Poetry Scrabble, to engage audiences with word tiles for a collaborative poem. Her writing is found or forthcoming in Passengers Journal, The Cafe Review, FlowerSong Press, Colossus Press, and other media. With stories for tween audiences, mystery detective fans, and queer love, Jen is a cross-pollinator and community curator. Connect with her on social media @JenCvoice or at www.JenCvoice.com
*an earlier version of this column appears in the Santa Barbara Independent
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