"County Lines": A Sacramento Website Showcasing Local Poets

Bob Stanley © SMAC

Sacramento poet laureate, Bob Stanley, runs the website County Lines, which is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. When I talked with Bob earlier today, he said he hopes the website will inform readers about the poetic richness of Sacramento.

The website features a different poet every week, and has so far displayed information about eighteen poets. The first post on July 20, 2009 featured Bob Stanely, who describes the function of the website as follows:

You may not know this, but Sacramento is full of poets. From Elk Grove to South Natomas, from Folsom to downtown, there are hundreds of people who write, read, and share their poems. Teenagers in Oak Park, retirees in Citrus Heights, college students, state workers, people young and old share this ancient art form. If you know where to look, you can find them, working on their craft, because Sacramento is full of poets.

As the new Poet Laureate of the city and county of Sacramento, my goal is to help people find a little poetry in their lives. I will help organize readings and workshops around the county. I will also showcase some of the area’s most accomplished writers in a weekly posting called County Lines: the poetry of Sacramento. Each week will feature a new writer who makes his or her home here. I’ll do my best to represent a wide range of styles, but I’ll probably play favorites – most writers have styles they prefer. I’ll also write about poetry in general – what’s going on, upcoming readings to consider attending, comments on articles or books. County Lines will also be a kind of laureate’s journal – what I see in our literary community.

I’m confident that with volunteer help, we can create a legacy of increased poetic activity around the region. Please let me know if you are interested in working with me to bring more poetry to more people. I welcome your suggestions. If you want your poetry to be considered for this weekly posting, please email me at Bob Stanley , and indicate County Lines in the subject area.

For more information, click the heading of this post which links to SMAC website.

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