Poetry will be walking, talking, singing and dancing in Pasadena this coming weekend, May 18-20. I hope that you are available to attend based on your schedule.
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There are three events:
1. Luis Ituarte Open Studio and Exhibit (of his New sculptures) on Friday, May 18, 5-10 p.m. with poetry readings (Annette Wong, Beverly Lafontaine and I) and music from 8-10 p.m. at his Studio “La Linea Curva” and Galeria ANEXA at the Flintridge Center, 236 W. Mountain Street, Pasadena, 91103 and on Saturday, May 19, 10-6 p.m., (no poetry readings) Sunday, May 20, 10-6 p.m. with poetry readings between 3:00-5:00 p.m from Bonnie Kaplan, Carla Sameth and I). We will be premiering a video of the Pasadena Rose Poets' reading: (1) Huntington event, (2) City Council meetings, (3) Poetry Within Reach in Unexpected Places noon time series (January-April 2018) and (4) a clip from my reading at the Escondido City Council Meeting on April 18, 2018.

2. LitFest Pasadena in the Playhouse District, “Litfest Outer Limits: Poets: The Bright Light of Community @ Stand Restaurant Courtyard, Saturday, May 19, from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. I will be reading with 13 other local poets including Hazel Clayton Harrison (one of the Altadena Poets Laureate, member, Pasadena Rose Poets), Carla Sameth, Annette Wong, (both members of the Pasadena Rose Poets), Don Kingfisher Campbell, Mira Mataric, Seven Dhar, Ricardo Lira Acuna, Tim Callahan, Lois P. Jones, Elline LIpkin (former Altadena Poet Laureate), GT Foster, Radomir Vojtech Luza and Beverly M. Collins.

3. Reading at Vroman’s Bookstore with seven poets reading work of other poets and from their own poetry collection on Saturday, May 19, from 6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m. Featured poets are Elizabeth Iannaci, Jacqueline Tchakalian, Terry Stevenson, Amy Davis, Anita McLaughlin, Bonnie Kaplan and Peggy Dobreer.
For more info about LitFest Pasadena go to: www.litfestpasadena.org​

Pasadena Rose Poets celebrate Poetry Within Reach in Unexpected Places. This is an opportunity to gather together culturally diverse Poets and poetry lovers whose continued support and involvement enriches our work and communities in Pasadena and beyond. To share our experience as “citizen poets” reading regularly at Pasadena City Council meetings, 2nd poetry reading series January through April 2018 and future events. Come and have fun. PRP includes Gerda Govine Ituarte, Creator/Curator and members Teresa Mei Chuc, Mel Davidson, Damian Gonzalez, Hazel Clayton Harrison, Shahe Mankerian and Carla Sameth.
 
         Thursday at 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM,  Pasadena Central Library, 2nd on Fourth
 

The City of Santa Cruz Arts Commission, “ Spanish Language Poetry for Rail Trail Contest” has selected Gerda as one of the poets to provide two of her poems in English and Spanish, which will be stamped in the concrete at ADA ramps and curbs along the soon-to-be-constructed Rail Trail in Santa Cruz. Background information:  the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network is a 50-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway along the coast of ants Cruz County, from the San Mateo County line in the north to the Monterey County line at Pajaro.  The system’s “spine” will be the Coastal Rail Trail within the 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch rail right-of-way, alongside the existing train tracks and co-existing with potential future train service. The two poems are “Las Mujeres,” and Library Surprise/Sorpresa en La Biblioteca,  They are as follows:

​Las Mujeres, "Future Awakes in Mouth of NOW,” Editions du Cygnet (Swan World), Paris, France, 2016.  
Library Surprise, “Oh Where is My Candle Hat?," Asterisco, Editoria de Poesia, Tijuana, Mexico, 2012.

​Also:
Two of Gerda’s poems, Veteran and I Love When were included in Ms. aligned 2, edited by Connie Pan and Pat Matsueda, El Leon literary Arts, Berkeley, CA, November 2017. 
 
Poster Boy was included in "Ice Cream Poems- reflections on the life with ice cream," edited by Patricia Farngnoli, World Enough Writers, Tillamook, Oregon, 2017.

​Poetry Within Reach Reading Series
The inaugural “Poetry Within Reach” Series took place July-August 2016 and provided an important civic consciousness about the importance of poetry as a connector to accessibility of this art form.  Through “Poetry Within Reach in Unexpected Places,” Border Council of Arts and Culture/Consejo Fronterizo de Arte y Cultura (COFAC) I created the Pasadena Rose Poets who brought diverse cultural backgrounds that represents the diversity of our community.  We are a group of citizen poets committed to weaving poetry into our everyday lives. Professional and skilled poets at the “top of their game” who could be our neighbors, attend the same church, shop at the same stores, gather at City Hall—within reach. We have a vested interest in serving as citizen poets to bring poetry out of the shadows and on to center stage—the Town Square that City Council represents.  We are unique and put their words together in ways that can ease difficult conversations one word at a time, round sharp corners and offer “food for thought.”  Poetry is the key to creativity that promotes awareness, access to new experiences, which inspires understanding and reflection.
 
 
Poetry Within Reach at Pasadena City Council Meetings
In February 2017, I developed weekly poetry readings at City Council Meetings, a rarity. After six month we were invited by Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek with the support of the Council to continue on a regular basis, which we continue to do. By providing our poetry we underscore our civic mindedness and unveil poetry as an art form that is available to the public, for example, in restaurants, businesses, outdoor and pop-up underutilized spaces throughout the City. Our goal is for the City of Pasadena to be known as the home of the Pasadena Rose Poets who serve as ambassador poets for the City. We have read at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, Book Show Bookstore, Avenue 50 Studio, Pasadena Libraries, private gardens, parks, workplaces, Flintridge Center, Open Studio Art Collective, Altadena Library District and John Muir High School.