On Tuesday afternoon, I was the guest author at Merced High School, where the student org Valley Voices has got it together. It was such a pleasure meeting all the students, hearing them read their work, and talking to them about anaphora and authenticity and reading some poems from my book for them. There were about twenty creative writing students, juniors and seniors, bussed in from different high schools--Central Catholic in Modesto, Merced High, and Golden Valley in Merced. Poet Pos Moua strolled in at one point (he teaches there) and joined in on the conversation, sharing stories of getting to know Gary Snyder.

A special thank you to Ocean Jones, teacher and advisor for the Valley Voices. She coordinates the entire Valley Voices program---funded well by Heyday Books, by a grant written some years back by David Mas Masumoto. I can tell you one thing - Mas has done so much for young writers in California, it's mind-boggling, and Malcolm Margolin of Heyday and Mas both should be enshrined somewhere. It's Ocean's passion for poetry that brings it all alive, and of course, the students are why we were there. I hope each of you keeps writing. There are many stories and poems waiting for you.

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I will be in Berkeley today (in spirit) as the five Korean women poets do their thing in Berkeley for the Lunch Poems Series.

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I am looking forward to my students' poetry reading today out in the sun! 9:30 am---Humanities Division Lawn!

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I am taking a group of students to UCLA and USC this weekend for an overnight tour of the universities.

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Next week, all week, I will be at my grandmother's beach house (southern CA) basking in the sun, writing, reading, taking long walks and looking for the good rocks, maybe going in for some ocean kayaking -- relaxation for the spring break. Looking forward to seeing friends and catching up.

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So I won't be in town for this, but if you are---it should be incredible. Tim Z. does it again. Victor Hernandez Cruz in Fresno on April 11. Emerging poet David Campos (an amazing one at that) will open up.