Tuesday, December 12 at 7:30 PM:  Favorite Poem Project Reading.

The New Davenport Cash Store,1 Davenport Avenue and Highway 1, Davenport 95017. [map]  $3 donation to Poetry Santa Cruz requested.
 

Join us for a reading of favorite poems by a diverse selection of members of our community. Following the guidelines of the Favorite Poem Project, created by former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, each reader will have 5 minutes to read a favorite poem and talk about its significance for them. Our readers will include:

Connie Bertuca has been sneaking poetry into the high school English curriculum since 1974 and reading it since discovering Bad Sir Brian Botany by A.A. Milne in 1955.

Julia Cairns was born in Britain and spent many years in Africa before coming to the Davenport area. An award-winning artist and illustrator of children's books, she is best known for her colorful paintings of African people, patterns and nature.

Lea Haratani is a local Davenport resident and ocean conservationist, and the mother of Holden, 12 and Camilla, 5. She is the president of the Davenport school board and enjoys visiting the spectacular North Coast beaches and Rancho del Oso State Park.

Bruce Hobson lives in Santa Cruz with his partner Rachel Harris, her mother Charis Wilson, and his daughter, Saraí. He lived and worked in Mexico for many years, and presently does professional translations and facilitates groups through the Walnut Avenue Women's Center in Santa Cruz.

Bruce Kosanovic describes himself with these words: husband, father, retired, and life-long collector of children's books.

Ex-artist Bruce G. Lee is never confused with the ex-Kung Fu artist Bruce Lee, except when he provides identity information over the phone. He has lived in Davenport for nearly 20 years, and is not—as is popularly assumed—possessed by the devil.

Barbara McCrary lives on a ranch in Swanton with her husband of 56 years, has three adult daughters, four teenage grandchildren and is a homemaker and beef cattle breeder.

Regina O'Reilly works on mentoring projects with high school students.  She’s also a businesswoman—providing kilts for the sartorially bold.

Kay Todd has enjoyed living on the North Coast since 1977. Her best times are with her son Sean, husband Jay and exploring ways to celebrate life with her women friends.

Peggy Townsend is an award-winning columnist for the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the editor of the new Santa Cruz Sentinel Magazine.

Michael Watkins is a school administrator who has worked in the field of education for over 35 years, he has been a classroom teacher as well as directing both the Alternative and Special Education programs for Santa Cruz county, currently he is the county Superintendent elect. He will take office on January 8th to begin his 4 year term.
 

This event is supported, in part, by a grant from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County.

Poetry Santa Cruz receives funding from the the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County.  Some of our readers receive funding from Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation.  Poetry Santa Cruz is also sponsored by Casablanca Inn, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Capitola Book Café, The Attic, National Writers Union Chapter 7, KUSP, the William James Association, the Museum of Art & History, and Cabrillo College.  Membership premiums have been donated by Copper Canyon Press, Graywolf Press, the University of Pittsburgh Press, Coffee House Press, Farrar Straus and Giroux, Robert Sward and Patricia Grube.