“May you live in interesting times†is an old Chinese proverb [a fancy word for “sayingâ€] that has been expressed a lot the last couple of years. Some people say this proverb is actually a curse, since “dealing†with interesting times generally interferes with our ability to live our lives the way we would like to. Wars, weather disasters, pandemics are all examples of times that feel much more “cursed†than “interestingâ€. So what is in it for us? How do we push against conflicts, big and small, to discover…
California Poets in the Schools, Mendocino County Office of Education and the Arts Council of Mendocino County announce the 2022 Youth Poet Laureate, Point Arena High School Sophomore Sidney Regelbrugge. Sidney Regelbrugge is so excited to start on her term as Mendocino County’s Youth Poet Laureate. Sidney has spent her entire life between the forest and the Pacific Ocean. Poetry has been a passion for her since grade school…
On Saturday, November 6 , 2021 from 7-7:30, Cartwheels on the Sky (always the first Saturday of the month) will feature Vallejo poet Jeffrey Kingman. His poetry collection, BEYOND THAT HILL I GATHER, was published by Finishing Line Press in June of 2021. His poetry chapbook, ON A ROAD, was published by Finishing Line Press in December of 2019. He is the winner of the Red Berry…MORE
On Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 7-7:30, Cartwheels on the Sky (always the first Saturday of the month) will feature a tribute to former coast resident and legendary poet Janet DeBar. Janet DeBar began reading and writing poetry during her childhood in Beech Bottom, West Virginia. She studied English Lit at the college of Wooster in Ohio…
On Saturday, September 4, 2021 from 7-7:30, Cartwheels on the Sky (always the first Saturday of the month) features the poems and process of SF Poet, Professor and legend Dan Langton! Dan Langton was a longtime Creative Writing Professor at San Francisco State University. He arrived in SF during the burgeoning beat movement, and he held a poetry gathering (he hates the word “salonâ€)…
Mendocino Poets in the Schools and the Arts Council of Mendocino County seek applications for the position of Mendocino County Youth Poet Laureate. The person selected will strive to advance awareness of and appreciation for literary arts and humanities within Mendocino county…
On Saturday, August 8, from 7-7:30, Cartwheels on the Sky (always the first Saturday of the month) features the poems and process of Chico poet Susan Wooldridge. Susan has held workshops on creative language and process with thousands of adults and children. Her book poemcrazy: freeing your life with words is now in a 32nd printing…
Today’s lesson is about Personification — a figure of speech where non-living objects are described to seem like people. In other words, personification means representing a non-human thing as if it were human. Personification gives human traits and qualities, such as emotions, desires, sensations, gestures and speech, often by way of a metaphor. Examples include: “the leaves …
A hangout for most of today’s youth, social media is a mixed bag, especially when it comes to the effect of social media on teenagers, those pros and cons are particularly significant. On the plus side, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat can be lifesavers for teens who feel isolated or marginalized. These groups include LGBTQ teens and teenagers struggling with mental health issues. In addition, researchers have found…
Tune into KZYX&Z’s Be More Now program at 7pm on Thursday, April 1 when host Blake More is honoring Poetry Month by devoting the hour to poetry, but not just to poetry, but to youth poetry – the voice of our future, a voice that the world is not hearing enough of right now. Some poems are brand new, some are a few years old, some you…
Only in the darkness can you see the stars. There are times, when it seems that light will never come. It is the center of winter and its cold and raining (or snowing) and it seems like the light will never return. It can also seem like this inside, that we are thrust into the deep shadows of ourselves, lurking around in negativity and bumping into feelings we did not know existed. Yet, even in the darkness…
Only in the darkness can you see the stars. There are times, when it seems that light will never come. It is the center of winter and its cold and raining (or snowing) and it seems like the light will never return. It can also seem like this inside, that we are thrust into the deep shadows of ourselves, lurking around in negativity and bumping into feelings we did not know existed. Yet, even in the darkness…
Trees are our friends. They talk to me, and maybe they talk to you too. They are transformers: They breathe in what our lungs exhale (carbon dioxide, or CO2), and breathe out what our lungs need (oxygen, or O2). In essence, trees are the lungs of earth, and we owe our biological existence to them. Life as we know is impossible on a planet with no oxygen. Remember, carbon dioxide…
I think poetry is necessary, especially in times of struggle and crises. Pardon the mixed metaphors, but poetry trumps political discourse. We live in a time when political language is deliberately misused and manipulated – frequently for malicious purposes – to serve and support those in power. This is nothing new…
So everyone is talking about when the quarantine is going to be lifted. Some states are already allowed to incorporate some activity, and although many of us in California have to wait a few more weeks, we might as well imagine what it might look like when we start to put our toes back into the water of our collective gathering spots…