The City of West Hollywood will celebrate National Poetry Month in April with innovative events, including a ‘poetry spa day,’ and public exhibitions honoring poets and the art of poetry. National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world.
-Monday, April 1, 2024 at 6 p.m., at the City Council Chambers (625 N San Vicente Blvd.), the City Poet Laureate will debut a poem. "Recipe for Creativity, Blessed by Ghosts of the Greats," which celebrates the City of West Hollywood at the City Council meeting. The presentation will be viewable on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel, youtube.com/wehotv
-Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Plummer Park (Great Hall, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard), Women Who Submit (WWS) will present a book release party for “Transformation.” The anthology is the third publication from WWS and features poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama from 42 women and nonbinary contributors across the world. The event will feature readings from Liz González, Erika Ayón, Lisa Cheby, Sandy Yang, Aruni Wijesinghe, and Monona Wali, music by DJ Langosta, and an expo of literary organizations and booksellers. This project is presented with the support of an arts grant from the City of West Hollywood. For more information visit: https://www.weho.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/28545/1106?curm=4&cury=2024
-Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center (Respite Deck, 8750 El Tovar Place), WeHo Reads: Poetry Spa event, curated by City Poet Laureate Jen Cheng. From 6 - 7:30 p.m., the public is invited to explore poetry at “spa stations” including Feng Shui Poetry, Poemaroma (essential oils), Lotus Poetry (origami), and other poetic experiences. At 7:30 p.m., we gather at the steps at sunset to hear all the poets share their words. WeHo Reads is a literary series produced by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division and BookSwell. Additional support is provided by UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and Poets & Writers, with media partnerships from Book Soup and Los Angeles Review of Books. Books will be available for sale by historic West Hollywood retailer Book Soup. This event is free to attend, and RSVPs are requested. For more information and to RSVP please visit: www.weho.org/wehoreads.
Poets participating at the WeHo Reads: Poetry Spa event include Terry Wolverton, A. K. Toney, Brian Sonia-Wallace, Pride Poets members Timothy Nang and Jose Rios, West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Jen Cheng. Attendees will receive raffle tickets for a drawing to win a grand prize tote bag containing work from the poets which include Jen Cheng’s Braided Spaces, Timothy Nang’s Lotus Children, Brian Sonia-Wallace’s Maze Mouth, Terry Wolverton’s Ruin Porn, and A. K. Toney’s album Neo Griot & The Afrocentric Prince.
-Throughout the month of April, the City of West Hollywood will honor living poets by featuring selections of their poetry on street pole banners along Santa Monica Boulevard. Currently there are 49 poets honored, and each year the West Hollywood City Poet Laureate selects two additional poets to honor. This year’s honorees are Shonda Buchanan and Mariano Zano.
- Throughout the month of April, Poetry Walk, a public art installation, at the traffic median at Santa Monica Boulevard at Doheny Drive. This temporary public art installation displays poetry next to pre-existing empty concrete plinths where sculptures are usually displayed. The poetry excerpts reflect on absence, longing, and that which is unseen or uncelebrated. Contributing poets are former West Hollywood City Poet Laureates Brian Sonia-Wallace, Steven Reigns, Kim Dower and Charles Flowers; and Tonya Ingram, a young poet who passed away in December 2022. The Poetry Walk can be experienced as written word or by listening to audio recordings. Members of the public were invited to submit their own short poems reflecting on absence, longing and the unseen, and select poems are posted on the City website. For more information please visit: https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/art-on-the-outside/poetry-walk.
- During the month of April, Greenway Arts Alliance will present the 8th Annual LA Get Down Festival at the Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles 90036. Past years’ programming has included open-mics, workshops, poetry slams, performances, and more. As part of this festival, West Hollywood City Poet Laureate Jen Cheng will present a free writing workshop, Feng Shui Poetry, on Saturday April 20, 2024 at 12 p.m. This project is supported in part by an arts grant from the City of West Hollywood. More information and links to purchase tickets for the LA Get Down Festival can be found at https://greenwaycourttheatre.org/la-get-down.
Staff contact: For info on the West Hollywood City Poet Laureate or National Poetry Month activities, contact Mike Che, mche@weho.org, 323-848-6377. For grant funded activities, WWS and LA Get Down, contact Eva Angeloff, eangeloff@weho.org, 323-848-6354.
