The Ojai Post

Not long after the disappointing news that the 2009 Ojai Poetry Festival has been cancelled, a group of poets and poetry lovers in Ojai, many of them past volunteers and committee members from previous festival seasons, began organizing with the intent to bring poetry to Ojai in a new and different form. I am pleased to pass on this announcement of the first general meeting of the Ojai Valley Poetry Association:

Hello Poets and Festivilians,

We were all shocked and dismayed (although not entirely surprised, considering the current economic climate) to hear that the festival committee had to cancel the intended program for the 2009 Ojai Poetry Festival.

Nevertheless, a few of us optimistic souls met at the library and vowed to continue the good work of Festival co-founders Jim Lenfestey, Linda Silver, and Gael Belden--albeit in a new incarnation. To that end, John Kertis formed the Ojai Valley Poetry Association (OVPA), an unincorporated, non-profit entity under the auspices of the Ojai Valley Library Friends & Foundation, to oversee potential fundraising and organization of this year's festival. The current five-member board consists of myself, John Kertis, Liz Grumette, Dave Ray and Phil Taggart.

We're sending out a call to old and new friends of poetry to meet on Wednesday, January 21 at 7 p.m. at the Ojai Library to discuss the new agenda, new line-up possibilities and fund-raising potential. Volunteers are needed to design and manage all aspects of the Festival. All are welcome to the conversation.

Please pass the word.

Your Poetry Pal,
Tree Bernstein