Previously published in the Independent During a day-long celebration of the Day of the dead, Santa Barbara came to life. The community celebration and Oaxacan Calenda (procession with music and dancers and larger than life puppets) was something we had never experienced before as a community. I am very grateful to have participated in the […]
Author: Melinda Palacio
Poetry Connection Meets Rainbow Connection
*This essay first appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent One question that I’m often asked is Why Poetry or What Does Poetry Contribute? Last week’s typewriter poetry event helped me offer an answer. Simply put poetry is the best friend you didn’t know you needed or have had all your life. Poetry allows you to […]
Poetry Connection | More than a Mentor: Connecting with Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
*This column originally appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent Last month, I wrote about my twenty-year journey at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. What I didn’t talk about was the team-teaching I do with mystery writer Lida Sideris. A few years before the pandemic, Lida and I started offering a workshop titled, […]
*This column originally appeared in the Independent. The Santa Barbara Writers Conference began last Sunday. The conference has been an important part of my life for the past twenty years. I’ve participated as a volunteer, panelist and workshop leader at the conference. I wrote the poem that launched my writing career those two decades ago, […]
Poetry Connection Column: previously published in the Santa Barbara IndependentBy Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Last week’s Laureate Series at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Paseo Nuevo was the first event I’ve hosted in a while. That it was on a First Thursday, meant there was a built-in audience. People know that […]
Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate. Blog 2. *This post was originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent National Poetry Month May be over but Santa Barbara continues to bring the best of the laureates to our town. United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón closed out poetry month. Last Thursday, UCSB hosted Joy Harjo, 23rd […]
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Poetry Connection Blog
***Poet Laureate Blog 1. This post was previously published in the Santa Barbara Independent By Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate When I told my dental hygienist that I was going to be Santa Barbara’s Poet Laureate, she wasn’t sure what that meant. The instruments in my mouth didn’t help either. She was confused behind […]
Women’s Literary Voices, Poetry Pairing Tickets