Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025
There’s
been no shortage of great poetry events this year. I was happy that
the event I cohost, along with Scott Green, archaeologist with
California State Parks, Poetry in Parks was one of our best out of
the past three years. The two-hour program brought an evening of
music and poetry. The Ladies Social Strumming Club opened the show
and the Gruntled played at the halfway mark. Poet Stephanie Barbé
Hammer and myself both played with the Strumming Club and read
poetry. Fifteen-year old Alicia Blanco Bautista of Righetti High
School read Poema 20 by Pablo Neruda, followed by Port Hueneme
poet Lori Anaya. Interspersed were three more poets laureate: Santa
Barbara’s George Yatchisin, Emma Trelles, and West Hollywood Poet
Laureate Jen Cheng. Earlier
this year, founder of Poetry in Parks, Scott Green received the
Director’s Trailblazing Award from California State Parks for
developing this program. Since the Presidio is Santa Barbara’s
state park, the program took place at the Presidio Chapel last
Friday, April 17. Funding for state parks has been gutted by the current administration, but we will continue to hold space for poetry in our state parks.
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| The poets |
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| Scott Green |
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| audience at the Presidio Chapel |
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| Poets Melinda Palacio and Lori Anaya |
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| The Gruntled |
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The Ladies Social Strumming Club Melinda Palacio, Stephanie Hammer, Maria Cincotta |
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| Melinda Palacio |
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| Founder of the Ladies Social Strumming Club, Maria Cincotta |
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| Alicia Blanco Bautista |
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| Lori Anaya |
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| Jen Cheng |
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