Favorite Poem Project Coming To Ojai!
On Monday, Nov. 12, The Ojai Art Center will host the first in a series of Favorite Poem Project readings. The events will feature members of the community each reading one of their favorite poems (written by someone other than themselves) and sharing the personal significance of that poem. Robert Pinsky, our 39th Poet Laureate, started the project as a celebration of the personal impact of poetry in our everyday lives. If you are interested in contributing to the project, please read on for more details from Ojai project chairman, John Kertisz:
Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997. Since its launch, the Favorite Poem Project has been dedicated to celebrating, documenting and promoting poetry's role in Americans' lives.Local Favorite Poem readings allow diverse members of a single community to come together to share unique, personal treasures: the poems they love. Invariably, the readings contribute to a convivial community spirit. Many schools and libraries have made Favorite Poem readings annual events.
Considering the success of these projects, and the growing interest in poetry as part of the literary culture of the Ojai Valley, it is appropriate that we commence our own Ojai Valley, "Favorite Poem Project", as a regular event at the Ojai Art Center. Please visit the website, www.favoritepoem.org for more information. There you will find that the one prime criterion which applies, is that participants must propose to read a "favorite" poem, other than one written by themselves.
The initial program is scheduled at the Ojai Art Center on Monday, Nov. 12, 2007. This will be an evening program with 6-7 readers/poets who will present works of their favorite poets. Proposals for inclusion in the program may be submitted by mail to: 4210 Grand Ave., Ojai CA 93023 (3 copies), or by email in Word format to: Jkertis@roadrunner.com . Deadline: Oct. 10, 2007. Proposals must include: a) Name of Favorite poet & poems to be read (include time for reading) b) Reason for choice (100 words or less) c) short bio of self d) You may also propose to read a short poem or portion of your own writing which was inspired by or relates to the work of your favorite poet (include time in minutes).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kertisz, 805-640-1508
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Comments (2)
Sorry I don't make personal appearances but here is my fav
Asylum for the Verbally Insane --Author unknown
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly,
Boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of
them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be
committed to an asylum
for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your
house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm
goes off by going on.
And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother is not Mop?
Comment #1 Posted by: Isabella Valenzuela | August 29, 2007 11:19 PM
Cute. Reminds me of the Gallagher routine.
Comment #2 Posted by: Robert | August 30, 2007 11:53 AM