California

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The Spirit of Truth is within us: Writing Ourselves True,

2011 CPITS Statewide Symposium in Santa Barbara

 

The 47th annual CPITS Poetry and Writing Symposium WRITING OURSELVES TRUE, will be held September 9-11, 2011 at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara—the deadline to register is August 12th.

 

CPITS' poetry symposiums are one of the most sublime and inexpensive writers' conferences in the nation. Don't miss one of the most exciting writing conferences in the country with over 15 workshops to choose from, delicious cuisine, and a truly serene environment.

 

Located in the Montecito foothills, La Casa de Maria is a local treasure, ranked by U.S. News and World Report 2006 as "one of the best U.S. retreats." La Casa de Maria is at the end of a winding oak lane. With secret gardens, labyrinths, fountains, hiking trails, a spring-fed pool, volleyball, tennis courts, woodlands and gurgling San Ysidro Creek—La Casa de Maria has it all. Poets, artists, teachers, poetry students, poetry lovers and significant others are all welcome.

La Casa de Maria is perfect for a romantic getaway or an artists'

retreat.

 

Check in time at La Casa de Maria is at 4PM on Friday. The symposium begins with a 6PM dinner on Friday, followed by an 8PM reading by featured reader Steve Kowit and our 2011 CPITS master poet honoree, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Perie Longo.

 

Guest poet Steve Kowit will also lead a pre-Symposium writing intensive workshop on Friday afternoon from 1-4 PM. Steve's handbook for writing poetry, IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND, is the best-selling book of its type at Amazon.com. He is the editor of the anthology THE MAVERICK POETS and his most recent poetry collection, THE DUMBELL NEBULA, was published in January 2000. Kowit received a MA from San Francisco State College, and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. He teaches at Southwestern College in Chula Vista and lives in San Diego Back Country.

 

Saturday begins at 8AM with breakfast, and workshops led by award-winning CPITS mentor poets from across the state, are scheduled from 9AM to 5PM. Blake More, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, Joan Gelfand, Seretta Martin, Melinda Palacio, Karen Lewis, Phyllis Meshaulam, minerva, Claudia Poquoc, Gwynn O'Gara, Daryl Chin, Fernando Castro, Tobey Kaplan, Nan Busse, Jill Moses & Shelley Savren and more. Come for a day or the entire weekend! A general meeting will be held after lunch on Saturday from 1 to 2PM.

 

Saturday evening will include an open poetry reading and celebration at 7:30PM.

 

Sunday workshops will begin at 9:30AM and the symposium will wrap up by noon. There will be time throughout the weekend for swimming and relaxation. The registration form is on the brochure, downloadable from the CPITS website, www.cpits.org.

 

Download Conference Materials: http://www.cpits.org/event​s/events.htm

mail registration to:

California Poets in the Schools

1333 Balboa Street Ste. 3

San Francisco, CA 94118

415-221-4201

California Poets in the Schools

 La Casa de Maria 800 El Bosque Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108 tel: (805)

969-5031 fax: (805) 969-2759

 Follow CPITS on Twitter @Calpoets

Or visit/Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cpits

 TUESDAY’S CHILD
for Zane

…is full of grace, but much more, son
of my son, made of love and earth’s fruit,
high surf, long trails toward wide vision
this grandmother dare brag, snuggling him
first time in the holy air, he light as light,
delivered floating in his liquid orb.
His mother knew a blessing, yes,
from the start. Nothing could stop
him slipping through heaven's cracks
bent on life, though angels tried to
hold him back. What could he want
from the world with all its strife despite
the splurge of nature, tender parents,
two sisters who would care for him,
coo to see him smile, share kisses,
blankets, books, the “real” rabbit,
their princess wings if he missed
where he came from. Long before dawn
I woke in a pool of moonlight on my pillow
and thought truly, a sign from above,
if only I could call down my husband
to shout the grand news. When sun rose
I opened the door for the paper and
there over the mountains a rare dusting
of snow as glistening crown.

Perie Longo, poet- teacher
 

  

Perie Longo, poet- teacher   

Santa Barbara

 

Perie will be reading with Steve Kowit on September 9 at our symposium at Casa De Maria!