California Poetry.com
A New Site for California Poets
Please support this site by donating and /or purchasing some of the merchandise from the links below. This site is presented by Steven Robert Heine. Heine is a disabled poet in his 70'. He was crippled in a fall several years ago and suffered a stroke in 2023. Your support will help cover costs of this site and provide more frequent updates.
California Poetry and Writing Groups.
The current California Poet Laureate is: Dana Gioia
Start of Term: December 4, 2015.Position History:
The unofficial position of poet laureate was established with the appointment of Ina Donna Coolbrith on June 30, 1915. The official position of Poet Laureate of California was created by Assembly member Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) under Assembly Bill 113, and was signed in 2001 by Governor Gray Davis. While the unofficial position carried a lifetime appointment, current laureates are appointed to two-year terms. After Quincy Troupe resigned from the position in 2002 for falsifying information on his resume, the position remained vacant until the appointment of Al Young by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on May 12, 2005.Previous Laureates:
Ina Donna Coolbrith (1915-1928)
Henry Meade Bland (1929-1931)
John Steven McGroarty (1933-1944)
Gordon W. Norris (1953-1961)
Charles B. Garrigus (1966-2000)
Quincy Troupe (2002)
Al Young (May 12, 2005-2008)
Carol Muske-Dukes
(November 13, 2008-2011)
Juan Felipe Herrera (March 26, 2012-2014)
Richard Dauenhauer
(appointed 1981)
Joanne Townsend (appointed 1988) Tom Sexton (appointed 1995)
Richard Nelson (appointed 2000)
Anne Hanley (2002-2004)
Jerah Chadwick (October 2004-September 2006)
John Straley
(October 2006-September 2008)
Nancy Lord (October 1, 2008-September 2010)
Peggy Shumaker
(October 1, 2010-September 2012)
Nora Marks Dauenhauer
(October 10, 2012-October 2014)
Kim Barnes (April 2004-2006)
Anthony "Tony" Doerr
(July 2007-July 2010)
Brady Udall
(July 1, 2010-June 20, 2013)
The California Poetry Society was established in 1971. The Society provides contests, conferences and resources for California poets. The Society also publishes The California Quarterly, four times per year. That publication features, new previously unpublished poems. The California Poetry Society also features monthly contests. News and information about contests and membership can be found on the California Poetry Website, above.
Since it began in 2005, California Poetry Out Loud has become the largest Poetry Out Loud competition in the United States. Poetry Out Loud challenges students to become passionate about poetry by holding competitions where students recite poetry. For information on getting involved in this exciting project, see the link above.
The Los Angeles Poets & Writers Collective is a ‘very intellectual site’ that features information on every aspect of writing from poetry to screenplays. Nearly 2,000 writers have taken part in the groups workshops. See site for details.
The California Writers Club (the CDC) haS approximately 2,000 members in 22 branches throughout the State. Members are poets, journalists, essayists, technical writers and writers of literary fiction. In 2020, the group conducts many meetings through Zoom. You can participate in one of these Zoom events by checking the link above.
**Poets and Dreamers ** is a ‘Meetup Group’ with more than 1,000 members. The group (n normal times) provides workshops and meetings for Southern California writers of all genres. See calendar on the groups Meetup site above.
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The Writers of Kern is a group based in Bakersfield that provides support to writers of all ages and all genres. The group produces an annual anthology, called The WOK anthology. In normal years, the group also holds conference.
Based in Long Beach, the Coffee House Writers Group produces a Meetup site with more than 1,700 members in the Long Beach group and more than 4,000 members in other groups in the area. The Meetup site above provides a calendar of events. Most events are currently via Zoom.
Central Coast Writers is an amazing writer’s group, based in Pacific Grove, California is more than 100 years old! The group is a chapter of the California Writers Club. For information on activities and writing contests, please see ‘Scribbles’ the group’s monthly newsletter.
Membership information and yearly dues cost is also available on the link above.
Breaking News!
Steven Robert Heine is an American poet and author. He has spent much of his life supporting poetry projects and events. He is the author of 8 volumes of poetry. In 2011 he was seriously injured in a fall that left him in great pain and almost unable to walk. He suffered a stroke in 2023. Heine receives no disability and relies on a small pension and retirement income. He is no longer able to make public appearances.
We hope you will consider purchasing some of the original tee-shirts and merchandise below. It will help support this site and get it updated more often.
Thank you!
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Steven Robert Heine is a West Coast poet & author. He has spent his life promoting poetry; serving as founder for many poetry contests. He traveled extensively through California and his poetry has been taught in California schools. He is the author of fifteen books, including poetry, history and his own short auto-biographies. His books can be found on Ebay, Amazon and Amazon KIndle.
Heine was crippled in a fall in 2011 and now makes very few public appearances.