It’s been raining and the temperture dropped 20 degrees today. They came around to the rooms to check if the heaters were working. It might get down to 40 tonight, they said. I don’t have a heater in my room. I arrived Monday night after an uneventful trip (if that can be said of any flight these days) and checked into the Colony Hotel, a restored historic hotel on Atlantic Avenue in the revitalized downtown of Del Rey Beach. It’s brightly painted, with whirring ceiling fans and a quaint "lift" that has the accordian door and needs an attendant to get you up to your floor. They play jazz and blues in the lobby and the front doors are always open to the sidewalk seating where folks sit and watch the world go by. My room has most of the modern conveniences: king size firm mattress, TV w/cable and sometimes the wireless internet works (right now I’m in the lobby where it always works). The bathroom is tiny–barely enough room to sit down or slide into the shower stall, with the pedestal sink in the bedroom. It works and I’ve grown rather fond of the place, though the heat for the first couple of days was a bit oppressive and turning on the window air conditioner evoked a lot of rumbling and roaring.

Okay, enough about the environs. On to the poetry. Tuesday night we had an informal gathering as a whole and then broke into our respective workshop groups, meeting for an hour to introduce ourselves and set up the protocol for the ensuing three workshop sessions. Our fearless leader is Mark Doty, who immediately made us all feel at ease and welcomed and supported as he asked us to go around and say our names and what we were struggling with in our writing. At one point we were talking about how to get all the elements in a poem to jive and he pulled out a pencil and drew a triangle on the butcher paper covering our conference table. At one corner he wrote "Intellectual" at the other "Material" and the other "Emotional." These are the three fundamental elements of a poem and although they need all be present in a poem, they don’t necessarily need to be in balance. It was a perspective that helped me evaluate mine, and others, poems in a new light. We proceeded to pass out our poems to each other and agreed that we would each have two poems "workshopped" over our three sessions. It was an early night so I went back to my room and made my comments on the poems for the next day and finally got to sleep around 12:30. (I can’t seem to shake the west coast time schedule.)

Wednesday we had our group workshop in the morning from 9-12. From the hotel it’s a ten minute walk to the Old School Square where the Festival is being held, along cobbled walkways, past a dozen cafes with patio seating, souvenier shops with pink flamingos and embroidered pillows and brightly colored "beachwear" hanging in the display windows. The morning went great and we were all given a writing exercise to chew on, which I haven’t been able to get my head around quite yet.

 Building across the street from the Old School Square.

In the evening we put on our party clothes and headed over to the 1926 gymnasium for the "Gala" with music, drink and a delicious catered dinner. Following this was the first of four readings by the featured poets. This one was with Dorianne Laux and Quincy Troupe, both dynamic and engaging in their own way. Unfortunately my camera battery went dead and I hadn’t brough any replacements so there were no pics, but I’m sure I’ll have other chances. This morning from 10-12 was a craft talk with Stephen Dunn and Dorianne Laux in the old theater, which is where the readings are held as well.

The week is planned out so that there are events open to the public,
such as the readings and craft talks, while the workshops are for the
participants. Miles Coon is the founder and spiritual heart of the
festival, which is in its third year. It really is amazing the talented
poets he has attracted to teach here. Miles is always smiling and
running, but he always, always stops when poems are being read or
someone has a question or to lend a hand wherever he sees the need.
He’s got a great staff and so far all is running smoothly. Tonight’s
another reading from 8-10 with Thomas Lux and Heather McHugh. I’ll be
sure and have my camera ready to go.

The old gymnasium as the Gala was just getting started.

Talking poems at our table. 

I met Gini at Squaw Valley this summer. Yoga teacher in San Francisco and a great poet.

 
Me, looking posed and (I hope) somewhat poised.

Dorianne Laux and Stephen Dunn answering questions. 

Natasha (front) and Marilyn–fellow Los Angeleans. I met Marilyn at Squaw Valley this summer.