The Solvang Library is asking Santa Ynez Valley sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to write a poem and share it with the community in a public reading.
Writers are asked to submit a 25-line poem on the theme “Selfies: Pretense, Truth, and Dreams.” Submissions are due by March 30, and a public reading and showcase for all submissions is planned for April 25 at 5:30 p.m. The poems will be published in an online anthology.
Los Olivos-based poet Steve Braff, a published poet and co-founder of the Santa Ynez Valley Poetry Workgroup, is one of the organizers of the event.
“We want to emphasize that it’s not a contest,” Braff said in a press release. “The challenge is to respond creatively, and to share your response with others. The point of this poetry challenge is to provide a safe platform to grapple with and share the largely unspoken but often deeply felt issues of the teenage years.”
Braff performs and organizes poetry events throughout Santa Barbara County. He also serves as the New Programs Liaison for California Poets in the Schools (CPITS) of Santa Barbara. Joining Braff as discussion moderators for the public reading in April will be Christine Kravetz, a published poet and teacher with CPITS, and Ron Alexander, a psychologist and a published poet whose work can be found in various journals and anthologies.
To submit, send a 25-line poem in the body of an email by 5 p.m. on March 30 to solvanglibrary@santabarbaraca.gov with the subject line “Selfie” along with the writer’s name, grade, school, and teacher’s name. Writers are asked to not send attached files. Participants will be notified by April 2 with an invitation to the public reading. For more information, call (805) 688-4214 or email stevebraff1@gmail.com.
This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 1, 2018.