I can’t help but find it funny that my time with the Ventura County Poetry Project is coming to an end during the season when life blooms most with newness and beginnings. Then again, maybe it’s not all as dramatic as that. Maybe that’s just my “poet” showing. In all seriousness, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time. I’ve learned a lot as a writer and poet, and what it means to be vulnerable. I have a lot of non-poet and non-writer friends who read my writing or listen to me talk about writing, and the general response is always, “I could never do that,” and byRead More →

Writing sometimes feels like dancing. Turning and twisting until you learn the steps, and just when you get comfortable in the routine you decide to do a few freestyle moves. As it turns out, I tend to write in two different poetic voices. It’s an interesting feat, something I’d like to compare to taking turns on the floor with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Or maybe doing a classic little waltz with William Blake himself. I wouldn’t say I’m as graceful as him, but I can follow the pattern well enough because I too find equal amounts of romance and horror in this human existence.Read More →

  Hi all! My name is Cara Blanco, and I’m the lucky duck interning with the Ventura County Poetry Project this Spring. I was asked to write a small introduction, ergo this is a peephole into who I am. So, again, hi, my name is Cara. I’m a college student, daughter, sister, lover, tutor, reader, and—on my best (and worst) days—writer. I enjoy grocery shopping, ice cream, the way the scent of an orange lingers on your hands long after you’ve peeled it, and the color blue in most of its shades. Some of my hobbies include binge-watching shows and movies, going for walks, attendingRead More →

Thank you to Marsha, Phil, and to everyone who was involved with the project for putting this all together. Thanks to these amazing poets and storytellers, “Dear America: Telling the World We Lived,” can spread history and life lessons to a younger generation. I don’t think we’ll ever recover from the pandemic but sharing our stories and poems will help our experiences last forever. Today I am sharing the stories and poems of Eileen Fiori, Marcy Wingard, and Jerry Garcia.  Eileen has always had a thirst for knowledge. After taking courses on women’s studies in mid-life; Eileen realized that she did not want to followRead More →