On Saturday, February 17, at 2 p.m., the Loose Lips Contemporary Poetry Series presents poets Mary Kay Rummel and Phil Taggart in a free, open-to-the-public reading in the Meeting Room of the Topanga Library.
Mary Kay Rummel, former Poet Laureate of Ventura County (2014- 16), has written eight books. Blue Light Press published her most recent book, “Cypher Garden” (2017). Her book, “This Body She’s Entered,” received a Minnesota Voices Award. She currently teaches at California State University, Channel Islands and lives in Ventura. Her poems have recently appeared in Nimrod, The Ekphrastic Review and Pirene’s Fountain.
Phil Taggart, Ventura Poet Laureate, has published three collections of poetry, including “Opium Wars” (Mille Grazie Press). For nine years he served as the Poetry Editor of Art Life and is currently co-editor of Askew literary journal. He has received a Champion of Mental Health Award from the Turning Point Foundation for his work promoting the understanding of mental disorders, and an Individual Artist’s Grant from Ventura. He lives in Ventura, CA, with his wife, poet Marsha de la O.
This is the second of the Loose Lips readings to receive support from Poets & Writers magazine, a high honor for the series, which began in April 2017, with featured poet Luivette Resto. Loose Lips brings a diverse array of the best contemporary poets to Topanga, providing audiences and authors with a poetic forum and community and delivering literary events that are edgy, spiritual, inspiring and, at times, irreverent.
Loose Lips readings are followed by an open mic (adults only and one poem, no epics, please). Refreshments will be provided by Friends of the Topanga Library.
The series is curated by Loose Lips co-founders and poets, Millicent Borges-Accardi and Jean Colonomos.
Millicent Borges-Accardi, author of three poetry books: “Injuring Eternity,” “Woman on a Shaky Bridge,” and “Only More So,” has received fellowships from the NEA, Fulbright, CantoMundo, California Arts Council, Barbara Deming Foundation, and Fundação Luso-Americana (FLAD).
Colonomos is an award-winning playwright and poet. Her chapbook “Art Farm” was published by Finishing Line Press. In 2017, she collaborated with the Martha Graham Dance Company to present a staged reading in New York of her play Third from the Left about the 1964 revival of modern dancer Martha Graham’s masterpiece, Primitive Mysteries.
The Loose Lips Poetry Series is sponsored by Friends of the Topanga Library, Leslie and Steve Carlson, Karla and Joe Morrison, Poets & Writers magazine and Topanga Authors’ Group.
For more information about Loose Lips: Jean Colonomos / jcolonomos@gmail.com and Millicent Borges-Accardi / millb@aol.com. The Topanga Library is located at 122 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. CA 90290. For more information: (310) 455-3480; colapublib.org
Walking Toward What’s Left
Up here at night the moon swings like a lantern
against the dark, clear with purpose, as if
it could choose a knobby bristlecone pine
or a white horse nosing another horse by a fence.
We hear them as we walk halfway up or down
the steep hold of the world, their breathing, our hearts,
as if we were not forced from our beginning to an end.
As if it were easy.
—Mary Kay Rummel
