May Brings Music and Poetry in Santa Barbara

Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate

 In one of my busiest weekends, Saturday began with the high energy needed to entertain folks at the Farmers Market. I played music with the Ladies Social Strumming Club, the group of all women string-instrument players. I feel fortunate that Maria Cincotta, who also founded the Brasscals, put together a group of supportive women who gather every other week to learn new songs on guitar, bass, or ukulele. Maria is patient teacher and band leader. I’m not always available to join, but she allows me to drop in whenever they can. Playing music with other women has improved my guitar skills. Saturday morning was my third time performing with the lady strummers. Our set this year consisted of 12 songs; last year, we only had six tunes to offer. We’ve come along way together. 

 

A few hours later, I resumed my Poet Laureate duties at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara (AFSB). Last month, I received a phone call from Bay Hallowell, Gallery Committee member. She heard the suite of poems that I wrote for Colleen Kelly’s Dichotomy of Laundry exhibit and asked if I would write some poems for the Ruth Leaf collection. In our conversation, we decided to invite more poets to participate. I was able to include 11 poets. It was a special event with Ruth’s family in attendance of the closing reception. Ruth’s daughter told us that the art exhibit represented her late mother’s soul, something that is evident in her hand-colored etching and woodcuts. Hearing excerpts of her letters and the poems inspired by her art was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

 

I was happy to discover the cozy gallery at the AFSB. The corner house at 229 E. Victoria is easy to miss, but worth exploring the Santa Barbara treasure that is only open on Saturdays from 1-4pm. Ruth Leaf’s art exhibit is no longer on display, but you can sign up for their mailing list or visit the website to find out about future exhibits in the beautiful space. 

 

My day ended with an assignment for the Independent to review Cody Jinks at the Santa Barbara Bowl, always a fun time at the outdoor music venue. 

 

Next weekend may be Memorial Day and a holiday weekend for most, but poetry continues with the Mission Poetry Series, this time via zoom at 1pm. Hear inaugural poet Richard Blanco and the winners of the Alta California Prize: poets Fred Arroyo and Amelia Rodriguez.

 

This year, I will be participating in the I Madonnari, not as a chalk artist but as a poet and musician at the stage at 1:45 to 2pm, in a short fifteen-minute set. If you miss this short window, I hope to see you at First Thursday in June, where I will join other poets in offering typewritten poetry on demand. Come and receive a free, personalized poem in front of Old Navy on State Street from 5-8pm. 

*an earlier version of this column was published in the Santa Barbara Independent

Macondo Workshop 2015

Originating at the kitchen table of poet and writer Sandra Cisneros in 1995, the Macondo Workshop focused on bringing together a community of poets, novelists, journalists, performance artists, and creative writers of all genres whose work is socially engaged. In 2012, Cisneros handed over the workshop to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center after she decided to relocate to San Miguel de Allsende, Mexico.

This year, the Macondo Workshop will take place from July 22-26, 2015 at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio and include two nights (Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25) where the community is invited to enjoy readings by acclaimed writers, including Richard Blanco.

“We’re very proud to be continuing the rich tradition of Macondo, which is really a gem of the local and national Latino literary scene,” said Guadalupe executive director Jerry Ruiz. “It’s a great opportunity for that literary community to gather, hone their craft together and share their work with each other. It’s important for our writers to have access to that kind of network to develop and advocate for their writing.”

Since its initial founding 20 years ago, the list of Macondistas has grown and members are dedicated more than ever in working toward community-building and non-violent social change through their writing. Through a major gift to the Guadalupe late last year from Sandra Cisneros and the Alfredo Cisneros de Moral Foundation, the Macondo Workshop is laying a new foundation for the longevity of the program at the Guadalupe.

On Friday, July 24 at 7:00 pm, the community is welcome to the Guadalupe Theater to listen to readings from a host of Macondo writers. In the past, attendees have been treated to the readings of Macondistas including Cisneros, Julia Alvarez, and Luis Rodriguez. Free public event.

On Saturday, July 25 at 7:00 pm, poet and civil engineer Richard Blanco, who was named by President Obama as the fifth inaugural poet in 2013, will read excerpts from his published works and participate in a book signing. Blanco’s printed collections of poetry include City of a Hundred Fires, Directions to the Beach of the Dead, and Looking for the Gulf Motel.

Tickets can be purchased on this link,

http://www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/richard-blanco-reading-book-signing/

2014 Paterson Poetry Prize Reading

Melinda Palacio

Joseph Millar, Aaron Smith, Melinda Palacio, Maria Gillan, Richard Blanco

 Last Saturday, I enjoyed my fifteen minutes (or more) of fame. I'm still feeling the glow of being including in the finalists for the Paterson Poetry Prize. I had the pleasure of meeting three poets with varying and powerful styles, including our winner, 5th Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco of Beyoncé and Anderson Cooper fame, and finalists Aaron Smith and Joseph Millar. What a way to celebrate Poetry Month!

 

I'll skip the whiny details about my flights being delayed and then cancelled. Flying into Newark resulted in only a four-hour delay, but the airline gave me a one-hundred dollar voucher, which I'll use for an upcoming trip to Chicago where La Bloga will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the International Latino/a Studies Conference in July. I guess I'm going to complain a little bit more about my travel. On the way back, my plane was delayed by 12 hours, and then cancelled after midnight with no voucher or hotel stay because the problems was weather related. You win some, you lose some, I kept telling myself, and continued telling myself when I realized I had lost an entire day and a half at the airport in Newark.

Cancelled, delayed, bumped, and finally rerouted to Houston the next day.

Speaking of winning, I sure felt like a winner being included in the Paterson Prize for my book, How Fire Is a Story, Waiting (Tia Chucha Press). Our winner, Richard Blanco, delighted the audience with a reading from his latest book, Looking for The Gulf Motel (University of Pittsburgh Press). Blanco reads poetry like a dancer. His foot and hand movements are reminiscent of el maestro Martín Espada. I enjoy watching poets who read with their entire bodies, offering body, soul, and voice to the listener.

Richard Blanco

Joseph Millar

Next, Joseph Millar took the stage and read from Blue Rust (Carnegie Mellon University Press). Millar had a casual delivery that impressed me with his ease at being in front of a packed room, his ease at being a poet, and his ease at simply being. He's a cool cat who returned to poetry after two decades of working a various jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area. And he didn't miss a beat.

Maria Gillan

Maria Gillan, Founder and Executive Director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College told us ahead of time that Richard would be reading first, but we didn't know the overall order. I may have been nervous and spacing out during that memo, but recall feeling joyous when she called me up to read at the historic Hamilton Club Building in downtown Paterson, a beautiful building that was once a gentleman's club. Paterson is a town that could use some maintenance and TLC for its gorgeous building and famous Paterson Falls.

Paterson Falls

Melinda Palacio

The Poetry Center

Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith brought us home and brought down the house with his reading from Appetite (Pitt Poetry Series University of Pittsburgh Press). I already felt as though I knew Aaron because we have a mutual poet friend in New Orleans, Brad Richard, who I had the pleasure of reading with two days before I left for Newark at the Reading Between the Wines Series at Pearl Wine co.

Aaron Smith asked me to sign his book before we read.

Aaron also bought my book and asked me to sign it. In fact, he bought all of our books, a wonderful gesture of poet to poet support and camaraderie. Aaron has allowed La Bloga to reprint his poem, 

Like Him, also featured on Poets.org, the Academy ofAmerican Poets:

Like Him
by Aaron Smith
I’m almost forty and just understanding my father doesn’t like me. At thirteen I quit basketball, the next year refused to hunt, I knew he was disappointed, but never thought he didn’t have to like me to love me. No girls. Never learned to drive a stick. Chose the kitchen and mom while he went to the woods with friends who had sons like he wanted. He tried fishing—a rod and reel under the tree one Christmas. Years I tried   talking deeper, acting tougher when we were together. Last summer I went with him to buy a tractor. In case he needs help, Mom said. He didn’t look at me as he and the sales guy tied the wheels to the trailer, perfect boy-scout knots. Why do I sometimes wish I could be a man who cares about cars and football, who carries a pocketknife and needs it? It was January when he screamed: I’m not a student, don’t talk down to me! I yelled: You’re not smart enough to be one! I learned to fight like his father, like him, like men: the meanest guy wins, don't ever apologize.

 Upcoming April Events

Santa Barbara Sunday Poets at the Book Den, April 19, 4-6 pm, ***On Saturday.

April 30, UCSB Little Theatre, 4pm

May 2, First Friday Phoenix, 6:30 pm at Obliq Gallery

Carnival Rambling and Readings in New Orleans

Melinda Palacio

Peter Nu accompanies hostess, singer, and poet Delia Tomino Nakayama

Three days after Mardi Gras, I participated in an International Women's Day Celebration, make that two. The first took place at the National Jazz Park in the French Quarter. The five-minute radio plug at WWOZ sure helped bring in a last-minute audience at 3pm on a Friday. Also, the fact that the auditorium was a stone's throw away from Cafe du Monde probably helped as well as the wonderful talent of women singing, playing the piano like nobody's business, and reading poetry. Most people who have never been to New Orleans might know of Cafe du Monde's beignets, fried donuts with fluffy powdered sugar to make you think you are eating a taste of heaven, a cloud with your chicory coffee. 

Cafe Du Monde, where locals and tourists stop for beignets and chicory coffee.

Delia Tomino Nakayama put together a stellar last-minute celebration. I was especially impressed with Kanako Fuwa who is blessed with the ability to sing the blues and performed a perfect rendition of a Nina Simone song. It's great fun to hear her sing jazz standards intermixed with Japanese and traditional Japanese songs reinterpreted with New Orleans Second Line rhythms.

Poet Amanda Emily Smith

Singer and Pianist Kanako Fuwa

The following Saturday, March 8 at 2pm, I read with the Poetry Buffet. Unlike the impromptu reading at the Jazz Park, I've had the Poetry Buffet on my calendar since late last year. Hostess Gina Ferrara (Amber Porch Light, Word Tech Press 2013), originally had included Tulane Professor and Poet Peter Cooley. However, with Peter Cooley out sick (apparently he overdid it at AWP in Seattle and was already not feeling well when he got to the conference) that left Gina, myself, and Louisiana State Poet Laureate Ava Leavell-Haymon. Our material worked so well together, we couldn't have planned a more synchronous program. We dedicated our reading to International Women's Day and we were graced by a new generation of women, twin baby girls attended our reading at the Latter Library on St. Charles Avenue. The Latter Library is a special place to read. The old mansion has been restored but there's no question that the ghosts and old world charm remain.

Gina Ferrara, Ava Leavell-Haymon, Melinda Palacio at the Latter Library on St. Charles

While I missed all the gente at AWP, having front row viewing seats to the Thoth Parade a few days before Mardi Gras was worth missing a year of the Associative Writers Program and Writers Conference. Even with Mardi Gras being the coldest in over a hundred years, the weather for the parade passing in front of my house was perfect. While I chose to revel in carnival over AWP, I'm glad I will get to see many friends at the July International Latino/a Studies Conference in Chicago, where la Bloga will be on a panel and celebrate its 10-year anniversary. 

Some Mardi Gras Photos...

I caught the first of three coconuts at the Mardi Gras Indian celebration at Woldenberg Park.

My King Cake turned out crescent shaped rather than round, but delicious. 

This is what a round, store-bought King Cake looks like.

People watching is so much fun during carnival.

Marilyn Monroe came to watch the parade with us.
Photo by Anthony Posey

Photo by Anthony Posey.
I caught a rose with a broken stem, so I blew the petals to the wind. 

April is National Poetry Month.  Upcoming Readings

April 2, I will read with Fleur de Lit's Reading Between the Wines at Pearl River Winery.

April 5, I have the honor of reading with Richard Blanco and finalists Joseph Millar, Aaron Smith and Richard Silberg at the Patterson Poetry Prize Reading.

April 19, the Santa Barbara Sunday Poets, TBA

April 30, I will read at the Little Theatre at UCSB in the College of Creative Studies.