Please scroll down for photos of our event.
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To find RECA Center, from Santa Rosa, go west on Hwy 12. Turn south on Stony Point Road, turn right on Sebastopol Road about 8/10 of a mile. Turn right at Calikicks Martial Arts Studio. There is a small sign that says RECA. Look for balloons. For more information and for RSVP, please contact Judy Cheung at jhcheung@comcast.net. On the day of the event only, please call 707-526-8840.
We welcome all ages, and languages. Please bring food and poetry to share. Audience is also appriciated
Estimated Schedule:
Noon: Meet, greet and eat. Choose poems and parters for the pick-a-partner read-around.
1:30: Performance by the RECA Teen Cultural Dancers
1:45: Pick-a-Partner Poetry Reading. Participants choose a bi-lingual poem from what they have brought or from what is available. They then pick a partner to read one of the languages even if they can read both themselves. This gives the opportunity to interact with new people. During the reading, each pair stands in turn and reads their poem in English and another language. Discussions frequently take place after the reading.
3:00: Regular read-around with poet's choice. . Most participants read their own original poetry. Nearly all of this reading is in English.
4:00: Clean-up, including sharing left-overs.
Over the years, we have heard poetry in about 20 different languages. We have had guests visit from Korea, Japan, China and Germany. This year, we are had two guest teens from Japan.
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| We always begin with an international potluck lunch. Judy Cheung and Natica Angilly enjoy making selections. |
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| We always have a beautiful cake. However, this year, the hit of the food table was this giant patty-pan squash grown and stuffed by Judy Cheung. Many said it was beautiful. One poet said the taste was magical. |
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| This year, our international guests were Yuka Murata and Haruka Tenokuchi, two high school exchange students from Japan, brought by Meesha and Azy Hayden. |
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| Poets ate inside and outside. Inside were bi-lingual poetry books to choose poems for the pick-a-partner poetry read-around later. |
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| The table outside was in our comfortable breezeway on the front porch. We were able to meet with Huefen He, who came for the first time, and Jennifer Schultz who is here for the 3rd time. Others at this table are Joseph, Bob, Ruth and Ellen Hickman, and David Chung. |
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| After lunch, Ellen Hickman, RECA Teen Cultural Dancer, performed a spectacular dance as her mother, Ruth Hickman, read Ellen's original poem, "Flowing Winds of China." |
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| The pick-a-partner read-around was begun by Kay Renz reading her poem, In Absence of the Sacred." Haruka Tenokuchi from Japan read a translation by Shinko Fushimi which was printed in the July Poets of the Vineyard Newsletter. |
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| Judy Elliott read with Yuka Murata from a poetry book by Toshimi Horiuchi of Japan. |
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| Gerry Eagan picked a poem by Naruda to read in English. Judy Cheung read it in Spanish. |
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| David Chung read a short, traditional poem in Chinese. |
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| Ann Butts read David's poem in English. |
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| Huefen He read a poem in Chinese. Tanya Joyce read it in English. Later, Tanya read in Old English and Huefen He read in English. |
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| Natica Angilly read for the Poets Choice round from her new book, "Pulse Source." Richard Angilly read from the same book which half is made up of his poems. |
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| Gerry Eagan, an ardant audience participant for decades, read a poem she wrote that morning about her daughters. |
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Our afternoon prooved to be a wonderful time of meeting people and interacting as poets with many people we first met, or meet only once a year. Our two teen guests from Japan were surprised that there was such a thing as a "poetry party." We liked that title, and might use it for coming events. This event is cosponsored by Artists Embassy International, Redwood Empire Chinese Association, and Poets of the Vineyard. In joining together, we learn about events of the other groups, and can participate with eachother in the various performances, events and activities such as Artists Embassy's January Alameda Art Show, RECA's Chinese New Year Celebration, and the World Congress of Poets presented by United Poets Laureate International, that some members of all three groups belong to. This year's World Congress of Poets will be held in Rohnert Park, CA, with Judy Cheung as president. Be sure to join us there.
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Editor's Note: What a difference a stage makes. For the past few years, the RECA Teen Cultural Dancers have given a sneek preview performance at the Multi-Cultural Poetry Reading of the dance they will be performing at the Dancing Poetry Festival in September at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. This year was no exception.
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| Ellen Hickman performing her poem, "Flowing Winds of China," in the converted garage of RECA Center. |
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| Ellen performing the same dance with her dance partner, Maya Ibitz, on the stage for the Dancing Poetry Festival at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. This dance will also be performed at the World Congress of Poets, November 27, 2016. What a difference a stage makes! |
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