California's civic poets convene to share ideas

No one will be at a loss for words at this convention.

The state's poets laureate are in town for the first such gathering of its kind. They'll mingle, they'll read, they'll meet and greet.

California is a leader in all kinds of fields, from making movies to making wine. It also happens to lead the nation in putting poets to work.

In fact, the idea of a city or county having a poet laureate – someone to create poetry for official functions and encourage people to embrace the literary form – has become something of a phenomenon in California in recent years.

"California had the first state poet laureate in the United States. It set a precedent for the use of poets as civic tools," said Ray Tatar, literature coordinator for the California Arts Council. "City and county governments are seeing the importance of using poets as civic tools. It's an important step forward to see local poets being used in schools to strengthen lessons in the language of poetry and how children's lives can be enriched by writing and reading."

A poet laureate can be enlisted for all kinds of events, from reading at official government functions to crafting a poem for a ribbon-cutting. Most official poets also have public projects to promote poetry in one way or another.

Sacramento Poet Laureate Julia Connor, who created a popular public postcard project last year that inspired hundreds of creative entries, says she is looking forward to comparing notes with other poets laureate at the gathering.

"By bringing us together, we really have a chance to share what has been meaningful or innovative," said Connor, who receives a $2,500 annual stipend and is entering the final year of a three-year term. "It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a lot of creative energy and a huge diversity in terms of the types of poets and types of individuals."

Connor says the renewed popularity of poet laureate programs signals something important about the times.

"It's a real indication that there's a hunger for values that are not materialistic. Poetry is the voice of the ineffable. Poetry's audience in general is expanding throughout the state and throughout the country. There is now more than one poetry reading every single night in Sacramento.

"It belies a great hunger that is surfacing for the values and the forces that lie behind the obvious. Poetry speaks to that."

Added Connor, "At some point, I'm sure we're going to talk about the most ridiculous experience we've had. Al Young and I gave a reading at the State Fair one year with the tram running overhead it so nobody could hear. As I said to my husband, 'Now, we've hit the big time.' "

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson, (916) 321-1099.