One of the most pleasant rituals of spring is the annual poetry reading in the Alan Chadwick Garden at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This year's event takes place on Saturday, June 15. The event, "Poetry and Music in the Garden," features readings by four poets from noon until 2 p.m. It is free and open to the public, and the local duo Ambiance will provide live music.
New this year is a concurrent event for children, "Art and Poetry in the Garden for Kids." Sponsored by the Life Lab Science Program, the workshop is designed to engage children in garden-inspired artistic expression. It, too, will take place from noon until 2 p.m. in the Chadwick Garden, but there is a $5 fee per child, and reservations are requested. Please call (831) 459-2001 to reserve a spot.
The poets who will read are:
o Michael Hannon--Discovered by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Kenneth Rexroth, Hannon has authored more than 15 poetry books, including Poems & Days and Ordinary Messengers.
o Stephen Meadows--Author of The Wildest Place: A Collection of Poetry, Meadows is a longtime resident of Santa Cruz.
o Jay Salter--A local musician, teacher, and poet, Salter is the author of several small self-published books of poetry.
o Patrice Vecchione--An avid supporter of the local Poet in the Schools program and cohost with Morton Marcus of KUSP Radio's The Poetry Show, Vecchione is editor of Truth and Lies: An Anthology of Poems.
The main entrance to the Alan Chadwick Garden is located on McLaughlin Drive across from Stevenson College, where free parking will be available. The reading is sponsored by the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, which supports the activities of the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. For more information, call (831) 459-3240.
