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April 19, 2009 To: Pleasanton Poet Laureate Selection Committee This letter is to affirm my wholehearted endorsement of Deborah Grossman for selection as the next Pleasanton Poet Laureate. I met Deborah through our association with the Across the River Writer's Round Table in the late 1990's. This was a highly networked community group that promoted aspiring and advanced poets and writers. In association with the Pleasanton Library, we routinely presented literary events throughout the 90's that were open to the public in the interest of advancing poets and writers. As an organizer of these events, I could always count on Deborah to present quality poetry in a highly professional and entertaining manner. Her subject matter ranged from the serious to the fantastical. She readily pitched in to make the event happen by offering her time and talents. When I became Pleasanton's 3rd Poet Laureate, Deborah was one person I could confidently count on for support and ideas. Illustratively, she assisted with the Pleasanton Poetry, Prose, and Arts Festival utilizing her journalistic and public relations skills. This included getting pre festival advertising exposure in Diablo Magazine with her interview of our keynote speaker Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon. This level of involvement was also experienced by the two prior Poet Laureates. Her proactive willingness to be participative has continued to the present time. Deborah has been involved with a wide range of organizations throughout the East Bay in both her professional life and in her avocation as a creative poet and prose writer. Poetry involvement includes active participation in the Ina Coolbrith Circle and the Danville Cultural Arts Alliance. I have been present when she has received awards from these entities for her writing and watched her gracious acceptance of that recognition. She demonstrated that her demeanor is certainly one that models and advances the values of Pleasanton's "Community of Character" initiative. The network of literary interactions she has developed is critical to the poet laureate program as it provides the necessary contacts to bring guest poets and writers to the community.