Poetry As Remembrance, Place, Being

Altadena Poetry Resilience and Renewal

Michael Sedano

I am enjoying observing at a distance as the 2026 Altadena Poetry Review Anthology comes into being. It’s a detailed, painstaking process that looks deceptively simple:

• November/December call for poetry from the Poet Laureate Editor in Chief
• December, deadline passes, all material submitted.
• January-March, assemble the accepted poems into a book
• April/May, “Poetry & Cookies” Book launch (link) as selected published poets read their work 

Looks deceive. Putting together the anthology is an intense fast turnaround publication process that requires the professional eye and skill of a seasoned editor, and comes together only after two years preparation. That's the work of Laureate-emerita Thelma T. Reyna, publisher of Golden Foothills Press.

Altadena’s Poetry Review Anthology comes together over the two-year term of the region’s Co-Poets Laureates. During their term, one Laureate, the  Poet Laureate for Community Events, takes charge of organizing and scheduling performances and workshops. The other Laureate, designated as Editor in Chief, engages audiences during the various public events, springs into high gear as the call for poetry brings a flood of mail and submissions.

Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon are wrapping their Laureateships after numerous beautiful readings and then the Eaton Fire destroyed the community. Across the empty hillsides and razed homesites, a keening sadness echoes through the greening hillsides, joined by the sound of poetry. 

That fire burns in the hearts of poets, who celebrated themselves, their community, the places left in the aftermath of the fires, in poems in a powerful reading, “From the Ashes to Renewal: Voices of Resilience In Altadena,” (link), and a fabulously accessible online journal, https://altadenapoetryreview.com/2025-anthology/ 

The Altadena Library District just closed its call (link) for nominees for the 2026-2028 Laureates. Past Altadena Laureates include:

Ralph Lane | May 2006 — April 2008
Marcia Thompson | May 2008 — April 2010
Alene Terzian | May 2010 — April 2012
Linda Dove | May 2012 — April 2014
Thelma T. Reyna | May 2014 — April 2016
Elline Lipkin | May 2016 — April 2018
Hazel Clayton Harrison & Teresa Mei Chuc | May 2018 — April 2020
Jessica Abughattas & Khadija Anderson | May 2020 — April 2022
Peter J. Harris & Carla R. Sameth | May 2022 — April 2024
Lester Graves Lennon & Sehba Sarwar | May 2024 — April 2026

Interviews for the new Laureates take place in coming weeks. The new Laureates will be announced with release of the 2026 Altadena Poetry Review Anthology at Poetry & Cookies.

Poets selected to be published in the upcoming Altadena Poetry Review are receiving notice now. There’s poetry in the air, new Laureates in the offing. La Bloga looks forward to Poetry & Cookies, the new anthology, and many years of Altadena poetry rising from ashes.