California State Parks and Partners Celebrate Final Arts in California Parks “Poetry In Parks” Series Event
Contacts:
California State Parks
Newsroom@parks.ca.gov
California Arts Council
Carissa Gutierrez
Parks California
Elizabeth Kubey
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.— California State Parks invites the public to the final Poetry In Parks event at China Camp State Park on Saturday, Sept. 14, from noon to 5 p.m. at China Camp Village. This daylong literary arts festival is hosted by Quiet Lightning and Friends of China Camp.
Launched in October 2023 as a pilot program, Poetry In Parks is a series of seven events that celebrate the power of poetry and spoken word. These events bring together award-winning poets, county and state poets laureate, student poets, musicians, community members and tribal participants to share their performance art and storytelling with the public amid the stunning landscapes of California’s state parks.
“At China Camp State Park, stories are shared from time immemorial through the present,” said Executive Director of Friends of China Camp Martin Lowenstein. “Whether it's the ancient traditions of the Coast Miwok, the shrimping practices of 19th century Chinese immigrants, or the sea level rise research being done today, poetry is, perhaps, the most creative and thought-provoking medium for sharing the stories about this land that is home to so many people.”
The free event will feature live music by Gillian Grogan and readings by the Marin County Youth Poet Laureate Ambassadors Mira Sridharan (The Branson School) and Clarisse Kim (Abraham Lincoln High School). The event will also feature readings by culturally diverse writers through Quiet Lightning’s Better Ancestors series, which showcases writers of color. The Better Ancestors set at the event will include readings from Karla Myn Khine, Alex Feliciano Mejia, Kato Bisase, Zouhair Mussa and Sarah O'Neal, with special host Tadeh Kennedy.
“Thanks to California State Parks, we have access to these treasured habitats and ecosystems for both refuge and recreation,” said Founder and Executive Director of Quiet Lightning Evan Karp. “Poetry in Parks is a celebration of nature and culture embracing some of the best of what California has to offer. Quiet Lightning is proud to have nurtured this relationship with Parks since 2015.”
The event will also feature a submission-based literary mixtape curated by Connie Zheng and Evan Karp with readings by Aiya Madarang, Susana Praver-Pérez, Heather Bourbeau, Abigail Bereola, Norma Smith, Catherine Montague, Dani Burlison and Chun Yu, Katie Wheeler-Dubin, Robert S. Pesich, Meesha Goldberg, Simone Zapata, Terri Glass, Shirley Huey, Charlie Getter, Leslie Beach and Fadl Fakhouri. The mixtape writing will be published in a book featuring cover art by Kristiana Chan, which will be handed out to the first 100 guests.
“There is a certain special feeling that is achieved when people of all ages and backgrounds come together in a park setting to hear words, stories and poetry from talented writers. It’s quite magical,” said Poetry In Parks Program Manager for California State Parks Scott Green.
Tickets, links and more information can be found on the Quiet Lightning website.
About Arts in California Parks
Arts in California Parks is a program from California State Parks that supports artists, culture bearers, California Native American tribes, and communities in creating artwork that offers perspective on our past and present and helps us imagine our potential. The program supports art installations and programming in state and local parks as catalysts for sustainable community connection, health, and well-being. To learn more about Arts in California Parks, visit artsincaliforniaparks.org/.
An interpretive panel at China Camp State Park. Top right: A historic shrimping vessel, the Sea Breeze, at China Camp State Park. Photos from California State Parks. Bottom right: China Camp Village. Photo by Evan Karp with Quiet Lightning.
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