Poetry

The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale and Contemporary & Modern Print Exhibitions have curated proof of Matisse’s paternity to modern art with a presentation of 63 illustrations, rendered by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in response to the works of French poets Pierre Ronsard (1524-1585) and Stephane Mallarme (1842-1898). Matisse’s dream — ”an art of balance, of purity and serenity — becomes manifested in this exhibition of his late work, which was the result of his pioneering in the graphic arts of etching and lithography and a leaning toward “minimalism,” a clean and economical use of line, color and subject matter.

A long-time Glendale Community College English professor will be among the hundreds of writers appearing at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. Bart Edelman's sixth book of poetry, "The Geographer's Wife," was recently published by Ren Hen Press. Edelman will be at booth #920 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the festival on the USC campus. Edelman will also make appearances at the Glendale Public Library on April 29 and at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena May 5. Edelman is the founder of Eclipse, an annual literary journal that publishes the work of Glendale Community College students and professional writers side-by-side.

CLARK MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL -- A contest co-sponsored by the Glendale Lions Club and the News-Press produced five literary giants from two of Glendale's high schools. The contest was held May 4 at Clark Magnet School. The following students received awards: Aaron Moe, Glendale High School, first place, "Love and Hate" Drew Atwater, Clark, second place, "I Am the Forces of Nature" Jonathon Pak, Clark, third place Diana Sarkisyan, Glendale High, fourth place Melody Maliki, Glendale High, fifth place All winners received a medallion and ribbon.

Alex Coolman GLENDALE -- Charles Harper Webb has been teaching creative writing at California State University, Long Beach, since 1984, but before he ever was a teacher, he was a poet. "It was the first thing that got me writing and I've always gone back to it," the Glendale resident said. "It keeps calling me back." This month, Webb's first love paid off. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a $35,000 award recognizing the strength of his poetry.

Arsham Azarian didn't know he had the talent for writing poetry until three years ago. But the 74-year-old Glendale resident started writing poems in Armenian and before he knew it, people were asking him to have his writings translated into English. The Iranian-born Azarian always had an interest in literature and art as a teenager, but hadn't tried his hand at writing his own compositions until his granddaughter's birthday, when he put his thoughts together and came up with a poem.

Who knew poetry could be so funny? Fremont Elementary School students giggled so much that many held their sides as poet/actor David Prather jumped around the stage reciting poetry from 100 years ago. The students didn?t seem to care that these poems had been around for a century; they were completely enthralled by the power of the words and the performance of the actor at the Jan. 11 assembly. ?The best way to enjoy poetry,? Prather told the student audience, ?is to hear it out loud.

Alecia Foster GLENDALE -- Glendale and Clark Magnet high schools dominated this year's All District Lions Club High School Poetry competition. Twenty-five students from Glendale, Clark, Hoover, Daily and Crescenta Valley highs competed in the annual event. Five winners were chosen: Jeffrey Thompson of Glendale High and Regina Varsh of Clark tied for the first and second spot, Cristina Frankian of Clark and Elizabeth Cooke of Glendale tied for third and fourth and Rebeca Medina of Glendale took fifth place.

After enduring a bitter divorce, Silva Karaptyan found that putting her thoughts on paper helped her cope. The 62-year-old former English and literature teacher started writing poems about her experiences and soon learned that her writing not only provided her the therapy she needed, but it helped others who were unhappy with their lives. Karaptyan, who taught English in her native Armenia, also read literature in English, Armenian and Russian to keep her mind active. When she moved to the United States, Karaptyan continued to immerse herself in poetry and literature and met others who showed an interest in writing, reciting and discussing books and poems.

Gary Soto, author of 10 poetry collections, will speak at the Pacific Branch Library, 501 S. Pacific Ave., at 7 p.m. April 23. Soto, whose "New and Selected Poems" was a 1995 finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award, writes about the lives of Mexican Americans, nature and personal dreams. He writes poetry, novels and short stories for young readers and adults. Soto's presentation will be titled "Local News: Poetry and Prose," and is presented by the Friends of the Glendale Public Library.

Edison Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Linda Gosney wanted her students to "dab" into the poetry of Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes and the Long Island-born poet Walt Whitman. Gosney and more than 20 of her Gifted and Talented Education students have been working on a literature project called "Poetry of the City." Students have read poems like "I Do Not Like My Father Much" and "Jazz Makes Me Sing" by Hughes and "O Captain! My Captain!"

A long-time Glendale Community College English professor will be among the hundreds of writers appearing at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. Bart Edelman's sixth book of poetry, "The Geographer's Wife," was recently published by Ren Hen Press. Edelman will be at booth #920 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the festival on the USC campus. Edelman will also make appearances at the Glendale Public Library on April 29 and at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena May 5. Edelman is the founder of Eclipse, an annual literary journal that publishes the work of Glendale Community College students and professional writers side-by-side.

For many men, the idea of poetry might conjure up nauseating images of rose petals, tears and candlelit dinners. But our young Glendale News-Press books critic is looking to challenge that notion with "Broetry, " released earlier this month by Quirk Books. In his piece he penned for today's Huffington Post, Brian McGackin elaborates on his vision: "'Broetry' challenges American males who don't like poetry to create an alternative. Is there some law that says we aren't allowed to read and write poems about video games or sci-fi movies?

The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale and Contemporary & Modern Print Exhibitions have curated proof of Matisse’s paternity to modern art with a presentation of 63 illustrations, rendered by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in response to the works of French poets Pierre Ronsard (1524-1585) and Stephane Mallarme (1842-1898). Matisse’s dream — ”an art of balance, of purity and serenity — becomes manifested in this exhibition of his late work, which was the result of his pioneering in the graphic arts of etching and lithography and a leaning toward “minimalism,” a clean and economical use of line, color and subject matter.

Frank Bravo has always known his mission in life was to help refugee children and families in need. Although the Glendale Community College nursing student is not quite finished with his studies, he has already begun to do his part to help the community. Bravo, 34, is vice president of the college’s Rotaract Club, which is part of the larger Rotary International Club, and through the group’s efforts, he is able to provide aid to local organizations such as Path Achieve Glendale, the city’s largest homeless services provider.

A passion for crafting words sets this CV All Star apart from her classmates. Ani Bezirdzhyan, a junior at Clark Magnet High School, recently won the Los Angeles County Poetry Out Loud National County Competition and will compete in the statewide competition in March. Bezirdzhyan’s creative writing and poetry teacher at the high school, Maral Guarino, said the youth is “an amazing poet and individual.” “From the first moment I heard her recite a poem, I knew she had a passion for poetry that mesmerized everyone,” Guarino said, adding, “Her words come from an intuitive understanding of the world; this is quite rare for someone her age. Her words are magical and she weaves them together as a skilled artist uses shades, tones and perspective.

Who knew poetry could be so funny? Fremont Elementary School students giggled so much that many held their sides as poet/actor David Prather jumped around the stage reciting poetry from 100 years ago. The students didn?t seem to care that these poems had been around for a century; they were completely enthralled by the power of the words and the performance of the actor at the Jan. 11 assembly. ?The best way to enjoy poetry,? Prather told the student audience, ?is to hear it out loud.

Poetry that two classes at Columbus Elementary School read to the school during assemblies Thursday focused on the meaning of compassion. But it was the way the students of different ages and abilities collaborated to put on the show that provided the real example of compassion, some said. Sixth-graders in Gail Dunham’s class and first-, second- and third-graders in Sheila Monger’s class for students with special needs presented a program featuring student-written poems about compassion, which is the word of the month for the Glendale Character and Ethics Project.

After enduring a bitter divorce, Silva Karaptyan found that putting her thoughts on paper helped her cope. The 62-year-old former English and literature teacher started writing poems about her experiences and soon learned that her writing not only provided her the therapy she needed, but it helped others who were unhappy with their lives. Karaptyan, who taught English in her native Armenia, also read literature in English, Armenian and Russian to keep her mind active. When she moved to the United States, Karaptyan continued to immerse herself in poetry and literature and met others who showed an interest in writing, reciting and discussing books and poems.

A red card with the words "meaning," "imagery" and "sound" lay on a table where Natasha Kongsonboon and her teammates sat and studied Maya Angelou's poem, "Life Doesn't Frighten Me." Natasha and the Gifted and Talented Education students at Wilson Middle School, discussed what they each thought the poem meant to them. "In this poem, the speaker is listing things she is not afraid of," Natasha said. Teammate David Bukujian, 11, has a different interpretation of the poem.

The Friends of the Altadena Library will sponsor its fifth annual Poetry & Cookies celebration on Saturday, April 21, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Those attending will have the chance to meet and hear poets from Altadena and the surrounding area read their poetry. There will also be a drawing for two poetry baskets filled with items that poets or poetry lovers might enjoy. Past attendees have commented on what an "inspiring and fun event" this free program has been. The featured poems will be included in an anthology published by the library and will be available at the event.