Don't miss LANCE LARSEN

LANCE LARSEN

It comes once a year, our annual UTSPS April Awards Festival where we come together to award those who choose to participate in the poetry contest and honor the Poet of the Year. In addition, there are excellent presentations this year: CORI CONNORS-songwriter and LANCE LARSEN-Utah Poet Laureate and an important meeting for our UTSPS leaders and chapter presidents. It's a time to renew your enthusiasm and dedication to this important organization that only continues with your efforts.

WHEN: Friday April 22-23, 2016
WHERE: Layton Utah-Davis Conference Center 1651 N 700 W Layton, contact Hilton Garden Inn for over night reservations if needed- $99/night.

SCHEDULE:

         Friday April 22^nd
1:45 PM Laureates Meeting
2:45 PM Board Meeting
4:00 PM Workshop: CORI CONNERS on writing song lyrics.  Cori is a poet and song writer.  Her latest album won a National Parent’s Choice Gold Award.
6:00 PM Dinner- Soup, Salad (3 choices) Trout, Pot Roast, Fried Chicken, Vegetable, Mashed Potatoes, Assorted Desserts.
7:00 PM: Panel Discussion on How to Get Your Poetry Published and Noticed.  
8:15 PM Awards Session, followed by Open-Read Around
       Saturday, April 23^rd 
8:30 AM President’s Breakfast/Chapter Presidents’ Meeting
9:30 AM Awards Session
10:30 AM Poetry Reading by LANCE LARSEN, Utah Poet Laureate
12:00 PM Lunch - Salad (3 choices), Stir Fry Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Tempura, Tepanyaki Style Vegetable, Fried Rice, Assorted Desserts
1:00 PM Awards Session  
3:00PM Book of the Year Award
5:00 PM  Student Poetry Competition Awards

FEE: $100 which includes two meals. Mail registrations to Bill Asplund Festival Chair at 2262 E 1200 N Layton UT 84041

Poetry in the Park 2016 Report

1st row: l-r Lucy, Reuben Wadsworth, Zach, 2nd row: Lin Floyd
Karolyn, Kim, Linda Jones and Dr. David J. Rothman

Poetry in the Park for this year is now a memory. Held earlier in March this year, our weather was glorious in Zion Park and uncrowded with no shuttles. We enjoyed having four students from Hurricane Middle School and their teacher Reuben Wadsworth as well as one student from Enterprise High School and her teacher Linda Jones as our scholarshipped attendees. Our visiting poet was Dr. David J. Rothman from Western State Colorado University. We greatly enjoyed his expertise and enthusiasm. Plan now to come next year. Details coming later. Other fun activities for the Spring Festival of Literary Arts included ZArts lecture, Chaparral Poetry Forum and Redrock Writers Seminar. Read Wadsworth evaluation of PIP: http://wadsworthlongfellow.com/the-alliteration-of-zion-poetry-inspired-by-nature

Meet ROGER BAKER––UTSPS member from Tooele

A Utah grad student couple brought Roger Evans Baker into the world while living in São Paulo, Brazil. Roger and his five siblings were raised in East Brunswick, New Jersey.  Later he earned his BA in English at Brigham Young University, along with a minor in Portuguese.  There his professors sowed the seeds of a love of poetry.  Following law school at BYU, Roger returned to Portugal where he studied international law as a Fulbright scholar.  In 1993 He went to work as a criminal prosecutor for Tooele City, Utah, and continues today in the position of City Attorney. In his free time, Roger rears children (7), raises chickens, walks Erda’s farm-flanked roads, reads, and writes the occasional poem. Roger’s current project is the book Rabbit Lane: Memoir of a Country Road, serialized in 50 chapters at www.rabbitlaneutah.com.  The book tells the story of a humble dirt country road, its origins, its human history, its nature, and its ability to bring enlightenment, peace, and even healing to those who mindfully walk it.  Also on his website are many of his poems, songs, and woodworking projects.

 MIRACLE

the small
the hidden
the barely seen

what brings joy
what stretches
what teaches

a brush with the senses
an immersion
a whisper

relief
healing
denouement

my desire to forgive
my yearning to touch another
my love

your forgiveness
your reaching toward
your love

a butterfly's artwork wings
a bird's song
a giggling brook

fog hovering pink under sunrise
antlers, alert, twisting above brush
owl's soundless flight

your whisper
your touch
unconditional