This weekend, I am excited to go to the Tahoe Literary Festival. I haven't been to the Lake Tahoe area since going to the Community of Writers conference more than 15 years ago. Now, in its second year, the Tahoe Literary Festival begins on Friday, October 10, with a community day of free literary workshops and an open mic. Most of the workshops take place at the Boatworks Mall. Some of the events are farther along the lake at the Gatekeeper's Museum and the Tahoe Wine Collective. The free Friday workshop sessions include: How to Create an Audiobook, How to Write a Novel in an Hour, Landscapes of the Soul: Writing Nature and Adventure Poetry with Heart, and No-Stress Songwriting. Saturday's schedule is jam-packed with workshops from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a book fair and a singer-songwriter showcase from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
What's impressive about this festival is the accessible pricing. The opening afternoon is free, and the Saturday festival is $57.03 with two-session passes for $31.56 and single sessions for $16.27. I will be presenting at two sessions: Echoes of the Sierra: A Poet Laureate Conversation at 9 a.m. and, later, at 2 p.m. in a session titled Honoring the Women Who Have Shaped Us. In between my events, I am looking forward to attending workshops on: Writing as an Act of Resistance, Using Archetypes to Empower Writing, and Beat Poetry and the Grateful Dead. I am both inspired by speaking and teaching, as well as hearing from other workshops leaders and students.
Over the past two weekends, I attended two music festivals: The Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival and the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival. The music festivals were more seasoned than the upcoming Tahoe Literary Festival. The ukulele festival celebrates its ninth year and the Santa Barbara Festival is in its 53rd year. The music festivals both had much in common with each other. The Ukulele Festival offered free workshops to beginners all day on Saturday, the main day, with extra performances during Friday's luau and Sunday's brunch. Community members had free access to the marketplace with vendors from Hawai'i and around the country who sold ukuleles, food, clothing, jewelry, and accessories. There's also an open mic and various groups that find a corner to jam and share music.
Festival organizer Mitch Chang brought in well-known ukulele artists and performers from around the world. This year's performers included Abe Lagrimas Jr. from Hawai'i, Dani Usero from Spain, Hoku Bray and Kula A'o 'Ukulele 'o HoKu, Daniel Ate the Sandwich, Bernadette, Kimo Hussey, and so many more; it was indeed an international festival. I also enjoyed the jazz ukulele workshop from Sarah Maisel. All three days took place at the Torrance Cultural Center. Next year's 10th celebration promises to be even bigger. This year, close to 700 people attended.
The Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers' Festival reminded me of the Ukulele Festival but with different instruments. I don't play fiddle, but was interested in the guitar workshop, as well as, the Appalachian Flatfooting, and the module on how to play the spoons. The festival included seminars on clawhammer banjo, mandolin, and, of course, fiddle. There was also a special talk on how Peter Feldman founded the first Fiddlers' Convention on the lagoon in front of the UCEN at UCSB. Similar to the ukulele festival, there are performances all day. The ukulele festival also had two open-mic sessions throughout the day: one indoor at the Ken Miller Auditorium and one outside in the marketplace at the Ohana booth. Similar to the all-day open-mic sessions, the Fiddlers' Festival featured musical contests all day, interspersed with concerts by professional musicians. Both festivals benefitted from great weather. I will report from Lake Tahoe next time.
This week's Poetry Connection poem comes from Lori Anaya.
Death smiles, a clattering hoof-rattle smile
He comes for her. -Oh yeah-. Drum clatter clink.
"You hold on a minute," she says from bed
Takes a breath, closes her eyes, "Mind if I eat first?"
Another day, a week, a year...Death waits.
"I've ordered a chocolate shake." Rattle, crackle, lungs
Trap a bit of breath, "My daughter's coming to sing."
-Oh, yeah?-
Death snuggles next to dementia, lodges in her throat.
She inhales the shake. Lungs rattle-roar. Coughs.
A fit of coughing. She wags a finger, gathers her wits
breath, heartbeat. "You, and I have some talking to do."
About the author: Lori Anaya is a poet, teacher, writer, Macondista-Sandra Cisneros Writing Group Fellow, and SCWriP Fellow. Her poetry is published in literary journals including Women Who Write Blog Series, and Labloga.blogspot.com. She lives and works in the traditional and contemporary land of Chumash people. When not working, she rides her horse into conservancy land, where nature overlooks the fact that she is human.
Meriwether Clarke Book release and reading of the new collection Body Memory. All proceeds for the evening go to Pal.Humanity and Doctors without Walls. Lewis & Clark, 1116 State St., Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.
The Poetry Zone Monthly Reading, Karpeles Manuscript Library, 21 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, 1:30-3 p.m.
Lowstate Salon, An evening of supportive creative writing. The host will come with writing prompts and activities to get the creative work flowing. Bring paper, pens, and some willingness to write something new, weird, and wonderful. After the writing session, there will be time for anyone who wants to read or discuss their writing. Join us for inspiration and community with other creatives and writers. Casa Agria, 418 State St., Santa Barbara, 7-9 p.m.
Moira Egan and David Starkey, Egan has published five books of poetry in the United States and four in Italy, most recently The Furies, and including Amore e morte, a bilingual collection of new and selected poems. Her work has been featured in journals and anthologies on four continents. Also a prize-winning translator, she lives in Rome with her husband, Damiano Abeni. Starkey, former Santa Barbara Poet Laureate and publisher of Gunpowder Press, will open. Unity of Santa Barbara Chapel, 227. E. Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara, 5:30-7 p.m.
Women in a Golden State: California Poets at 60 and Beyond, a reading by local writers in this anthology, note the event will happen instead of Laure-Anne Bosselaar's monthly poetry chat, hosted by co-editor Chryss Yost. Domecíl studio, 1223 State St., Santa Barbara, 4-6 p.m.
Guess Who's in Town: James Lenfestey and Chryss Yost, host Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Chapel Unity of Santa Barbara, 227 E. Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara, 5:30-7 p.m.
The Poetry Zone Monthly Reading, Karpeles Manuscript Library, 21 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, 1:30-3 p.m.
Lowstate Salon, An evening of supportive creative writing. The host will come with writing prompts and activities to get the creative work flowing. Bring paper, pens, and some willingness to write something new, weird, and wonderful. After the writing session, there will be time for anyone who wants to read or discuss their writing. Join us for inspiration and community with other creatives and writers. Casa Agria, 418 State St., Santa Barbara, 7-9 p.m.
Diana Raab and Melinda Palacio, The Blue Whale Reading Series, open mic afterward, hosts Laure-Anne Bosselaar and Christine Kravetz, Chapel Unity of Santa Barbara, 227 E. Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara, 5:30-7 p.m.
Martín Espada, a poetry reading by the Winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Poetry for Floaters. Espada writes with clarity about inequality, labor and migration, honoring the dignity of working people, especially in his own Puerto Rican community, ticketed event, UCSB Campbell Hall, Santa Barbara, 7:30 p.m.
SB County Poetry Out Loud Competition, POL gives students the chance to explore great poetry, bring it to life through performance, and earn awards at the school, county, state, and national levels, event emceed by Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., 4th Floor, Santa Barbara, 5:30 p.m.