|
|
|
|
|
SEPTEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER |
|
|
What's News Kudos Corner Marin Poetry Benefit More Upcoming Events Poems of the Month
|
CPITS poet teachers before the Saturday night reading at the Science and Spirit Symposium |
| Recent Milestones |
|
Annual CPITS Science and Spirit Symposium a Success! With one of the highest attendances in recent years, CPITS welcomed veteran poets, new poets and the general public to the beautiful IONS retreat center in Petaluma for a weekend of poetry readings and a variety of fascinating workshops. Ellery Akers, naturalist and award winning poet from Pt. Reyes Station led a very generative writing intensive to a group of 25 poets, eager to write new material. Friday evening, Duane BigEagle and Ellery Akers read their poems of travel and nature to a very engaged audience.
There was a strong turnout of poets from San Diego, Humboldt, Marin and Sonoma counties and we were honored by the presence of Luis Kong, former executive director of CPITS and John Oliver Simon, Artistic Director of Poetry Inside Out. An evening of extraordinary poetry on Saturday evening by our CPITS poet teachers revealed we are a milieu of talented voices!
See what participants had to
say about the Symposium at www.facebook.com/cpits.
You can also view an album of photos taken by Maureen Hurley. |
| What's News |
|
CPITS and the Environment River of Words New Project: One Square Block CPITS poet Terri Glass was invited by River of Words, the environmental and arts education organization, to brainstorm with a group of educators and writers regarding a new project, One Square Block where children learn about the cultural, ecological and physical landscape of the one square block they live in. This project is being formulated in conjunction with The San Francisco Estuary Partnership. Activities include writing exercises, mapping, photography, and art all to familiarize students with their home turf, whether it is urban, suburban or rural. This is to enrich their understanding of place and the environmental issues facing the estuary and region. For more information about River of Words and One Square Block visit www.riverofwords.org.
Terri Glass, CPITS Program
Director with Pamela Michaels,
Director of ROW discussing fishy business.
CPITS in Publication CPITS in Education Nation!Milton Chen is senior fellow and executive director of The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). Milton’s daughter benefited from the program under Grace Grafton during her grade school years. His new book Education Nation, Six Leading Edges of Innovation in our Schools mentions CPITS in his chapter The Co-Teaching Edge. He says,“ Poets are important but undervalued allies in the war on illiteracy and especially needed in the primary grades, to help all students leap over the critical hurdle they’ll face at the tender age of nine: reading at fourth grade level.” A student poem from the CPITS 2009 anthology What the World Hears is reprinted in Education Nation along with a bit from Gary Soto’s introduction. |
| Kudos Corner |
|
Congratulations to Karen Llagas! Karen Llagas, a poet from San Francisco won an Elizabeth George award sponsored by Hedgebrook, which honors one outstanding Writer in Residence. She receives an underwritten residency and a cash prize. Her first book, Archipelago Dust, won the Filamore Tabios Sr. Memorial Poetry Prize and will be published by Meritage Press in Fall 2010. Special price for her book is $10 through September. |
|
Oct. 5, 2010, 7-10
pm, at the Caldwell Theater
Kim Rosen is a
performance poet who has touched listeners around the world
|
| Other Upcoming Events |
|
For all upcoming events, please visit the CPITS website at http://www.cpits.org/events/events.htm to see full details and click on the links below to get Facebook updates (join our Facebook page today at www.facebook.com/cpits).
1)
Thursday Sept
16, 5-7 pm at The Contemporary
Jewish Museum 736 Misson in San Francisco
is holding a Teacher Professional
Development Workshop. Use the “Wacky Whimsical World of Maira
Kalman” to inspire poetry. Experience the exhibition, then learn techniques for
poetry and visual arts integration. Resource materials provided and
refreshments served. Co-led by CPITS poet/museum educator Gail Newman. Poets
and writers are welcome. Admission $15. To register contact 415-655-7881;www.thecjm.org. Also the museum is offering free poetry-in-the-gallery tours to school groups
for the Maira Kalman exhibit on view through October. Reserve a space by
contacting Cecile Puretz at: CPuretz@thecjm.org. Be sure to request the
poetry tour with Gail Newman. 2) Sept. 28, 7 pm at the Mill Valley Library, San Francisco poet, Joan Gelfand will be reading with the Marin Poetry Center Traveling Show.
3) Saturday Oct 2, 12- 4:00 pm, Civic Center Park, Berkeley Celebrate the 15th Annual WATERSHED ENVIRONMENTAL POETRY FESTIVAL. Students will be reading from 1-1:30pm. Strawberry Creek walk begins at 10am at Oxford and Center Streets.
4) Oct 5th, 7 pm at the SF Public Library/Eureka Branch (16th St.& Market) with Word Painters, hosted by Stephen Kopel, San Francisco poet, Joan Gelfand will be reading.
She will also be
reading on Oct. 9, 6:30 and at 8:30 at at Litquake/Litcrawl. Schedule 5) Ongoing: Astrology and CPITS Offer: Jackleen Holton, one of our symposium presenters will donate 50% of the cost of a one hour astrology reading (either traditional or transformational astrology) to CPITS for anyone in the organization or who is referred by someone in CPITS. Please contact Jackleen at jackleenholton@aol.com if you would like reading. Also Jackleen runs a reading series in San Diego the second Sunday of each month. She would love to include traveling CPITS poets if you let her know in advance.
|
| Poems of the Month |
| this is the year we didn't have this is the rain that didn't fall the summer we didn't have this is the fog that made the sun hide this is the sun we didn't have this is the garden that had no rain the rose that only bloomed once this is the only word the autumn that descends too soon this is the winter that soon will come this is the time we didn't have this year that flew on broken wing the promise that failed to open this is the year we didn't have the harvest we didn't hold this is the garden we mind till spring for this is the earth that binds us Nels Christianson, Los Angeles Area Coordinator and CPITS Board member (This poem was written in Pamela Yezbick’s workshop on Rhythm and Native American Poetry at the Science and Spirit Symposium) My Grandpa I remember how he gave me a guitar, how he gave me it in his hands that felt like a wrinkled prune. I remember how his voice made a nice breeze, and how his hair felt like a bunch of tangled string. I remember how I thought his hands talked to me and I thought they said to never give up, and how he said to do good in school. I remember how he always called me names like little elf. I remember when we rushed home to see him. I remember how he grabbed my hand, how he told me he would always be in my heart. Armando Madriz 6th Grade, Monroe School , Sonoma County Nikki Winovich, classroom teacher Phyllis Meshulam, poet teacher return to top |
 |
|
California Poets in the Schools 1333 Balboa Street, Suite #3 • San Francisco, CA 94118 web: www.cpits.org • phone: (415) 221-4201 toll-free in CA: (877) 274-8764 • fax: (415) 221-4301
|
|
Please email your announcements, poems and contributions to Terri Glass. |
features an exciting evening of
performance poetry by Drew Dellinger,
Kim Rosen with singer/songwriter Scott
Kalechstein interlaced with stellar students from Marin reading their work.
Hosted by Terri Glass, this evening of poetry will have a reception with photos
taken in the Marin Poetry Chair, poems on demand by Silvi Alcivar with her
royal red typewriter, a poetry juke box, raffle and more. 
Drew Dellinger is
a spoken word poet, professor, writer, activist and founder of Poets for Global
Justice. He has performed at over 1000 events across the US, UK, Canada and
Australia.
Transformative Power of Words and has led
workshops and retreats in the US, Canada, South America and the UK. See 
