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ATTACHMENT Martha Meltzer 4920 Blackbird Way Pleasanton, Ca 94566 m.meltzerwcomcast.net 925-417-6679 Vision Statement I believe poetry is about communication. Poets speak across and embrace ages, cultures, life styles and ideologies. Poems inspire, illuminated and celebrate all of life's glories and the minutiae of daily existence. A Poet Laureate has the responsibility of representing and honoring her community and the opportunity to communicate through one of the most versatile and joyous forms of written and spoken arts -poetry. T'he following are some ideas for programs and activities. My intention would be to continue established programs. As the Poet laureate I would: • be a integral part of the planning and implementation of the annual Poetry Arts Festival. If funds were available additional workshop would be offered during the year. • continue the monthly Open Mic established by Cynthia Bryant with a possible change of venue. • continue the poetry readings at the Century House, featuring a variety of styles of poetry and poets. Some suggested ideas are children's poetry, cowboy poetry, spoken work poetry, and traditional poetry. The Bay Area has a wealth of local poets who can be invited to share their works. I would also develop and implement new ideas to widen the circle of people interested in poetry activities. As Poet Laureate I would: • establish a Poetry 180 type program in the middle and high school. This would be a collection of poetry, a poem for each "teaching day' of the school year, authored by Pleasanton secondary students • offer workshops in conjunction with the Public Library for elementary school teachers about the variety and scope of children's poetry. This would also feature lesson plan ideas. • establish a program with Horizon Fligh School and Art in Action to help students express through poetry and art their feelings during this time in their lives. • work with the Downtown association during April to develop a Poetry in Public Places event. Poems would he collected from local authors and displayed in Main Street stores and business. • host a "Poetry and Produce" table at the Farmers Market. This would be a chance to hand out information about local poetry happenings and possibly provide street entertainment. • host a table at the Downtown Nights to distribute information on literature, poetry and vriting groups in the area.