By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California–The seventh season of “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” will open Tuesday evening, January 13, at 7 p.m., in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC. Three local poets will be featured, Michael Mark, Lauren Ponder and Eleña Horvitz .
Michael Mark, a native New Yorker, has had two published novels. His poetry has appeared in various literary publications such as the Diverse Voices Quarterly, the San Diego Poetry Annual and the New York Times. He has just been nominated for the 2015 Pushcart Prize.
Lauren Ponder, a graduate of San Diego City College, had her first poem in print when she was ten years old. She is currently working for a BA in liberal studies at San Francisco State University. Her poems draw on some of her unusual life experiences. She spent two years in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, working with the native people and learning their language. While at San Diego City College, she volunteered for their urban farm. She has also done volunteer work for “Feeding America.”
Eleña Horvitz, the youngest of the three poets, just graduated from San Diego State University. She is the niece of one of San Diego’s popular poets, Michael Horvitz, who also serves on the “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” planning committee.
Following the hour of poetry reading by the three featured poets, there will be a half hour of open microphone when members of the audience are encouraged to read their works.
The evening will be moderated, for the seventh year, by Joy Heitzmann, who often treats her audience to a few of her haikus from her haiku journal.
Additional evenings for the seventh season of “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” will include Tuesday, February 17, Poetry of Saul Tchernikowsky and Rachel, read in Hebrew and English, with the Hebrew-speaking choir, Havurat Zemer, under the direction of Rivi Raz, singing three selections with lyrics by the evening’s poets. Tuesday, March 31, will be devoted to the poetry of educators from our local Jewish Day Schools. The final evening, Tuesday, May 12, will showcase poetry of our children, Jamie Lynn Finklestein, daughter of Suzi Finklestein, Tony Kunewalder, the late son of Monique Kunewalder and Harriet Wingard, my own daughter.
These programs are open to the public at no charge. They conclude with a reception, during which the poets have an opportunity to mingle with the audience.
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Wingard is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts. Your comment may be posted in the box below this article or sent directly to the author at eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com