In a case of IYKYK, then you know that the Goleta Valley Poetry Series is one of the best-kept secrets in our local poetry scene. Poet Laureate Emeritus, David Starkey, runs the series twice a year. He pairs seasoned and youth poets, with the help of Cie Gumucio, who is the Santa Barbara County Coordinator and Poet Teacher with Cal Poets in the Schools. Starkey says he adopted the idea from a New England poetry series, The Liar’s Bench.
This month’s Goleta Valley edition was outstanding. Perhaps knowing that the series might be put on hold due to the library’s upcoming renovation made each reader stand out for me. There was something special about each of the poets. The librarians are committed to the poetry series and just might come up with a creative way to keep it going throughout the renovation. Let’s hope they come up with a solution to keep the biannual series going. Meanwhile, if you want to write more poetry in the new year, sign up for David Starkey’s Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop at the Central Library next month on Sunday, January 12.
The line-up included Dos Pueblos High School student and 2023 Poetry Out Loud Regional winner, Anna Mathews (you may recall Anna from previous columns); 6th grader at Mountain View Elementary, Dylan Farrell; Daniel Thomas; and Professor Emerita Shirley Geok-lin Lim, who merits her own write-up — look for more in a future Poetry Connection column. A proud Goleta resident, the UCSB Professor Emeritus said she was happy to be presenting at her local branch.