Gillian Wegener: Modesto’s poetry scene vibrant, vigorous and vital
Re “Spoken word scene gets film treatment-twice” (Page 1A, April 25): Thank you for your article about slam poetry. Congratulations to Sam Pierstorff and to all the poets who participated in the Big Damn Poetry Slam and in the upcoming documentary.
It needs to be mentioned, however, that slam is just one part of the poetry scene happening Stanislaus County. The Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, a local nonprofit, promotes poetry throughout the region by hosting two different reading series and an annual festival, publishing chapbooks by local poets, partnering with others to support contests for area youth and adults, putting on Poetry-on-the-Spot, holding readings and workshops at senior living facilities and elementary schools, and establishing a free poetry workshop series open to all.
Slam poetry is an essential and passionate part of the poetry scene and can't be undervalued, but it is not the only part of the poetry scene in Stanislaus County. Much of the wonderful poetry being written is not slam. MoSt Poetry Center strives to support and nurture the huge variety of poetry being written in our area, whether at the mic or on the page. There is poetry everywhere, and there is room for all.
Gillian Wegener, President, Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, Modesto Poet Laureate
This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Gillian Wegener: Modesto’s poetry scene vibrant, vigorous and vital."