Poet Laureate Ron Salisbury sits with Michael Klam | Convesations with Poets

TL;DR

Ron Salisbury discusses his role as Poet Laureate of San Diego, challenges during COVID, virtual outreach, and the Poets of Resilience project.

Transcript

i'm michael clam host of conversations with poets we are here at the san diego public library in downtown san diego in the rare books room and we're very lucky to have our first poet laureate ron salisbury here we're going to ask ron some questions and see if we can get some inspiration for all to publish their poetry perform their poetry make thei... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Ron Salisbury reflects on adapting his poetry outreach to virtual platforms during the COVID pandemic.
• 😑 The Poets of Resilience project focuses on giving seniors a voice through poetry, emphasizing creativity and expression during challenging times.
• 🌐 Virtual platforms like Zoom have expanded Ron's audience reach, diversifying his poetry classes and fostering a global poetry community.
• 🧑‍🏫 Ron's journey as a poet and teacher emphasizes the importance of craft, creativity, and community in the world of poetry.
• 🎅 The San Diego Poetry Annual and Poets of Resilience project aim to curate and showcase poems that resonate with the experiences of the present time.
• 🎅 Ron's selection process for poetry submissions reflects his commitment to showcasing the diverse voices and experiences of poets in San Diego.
• ✊ Ron's inspirations from poets like Jack Gilbert highlight the power of simplicity, craft, and authenticity in poetry.

Questions & Answers

Q: How has COVID affected Ron Salisbury's role as Poet Laureate?

COVID forced Ron to adapt to virtual outreach for promoting poetry in San Diego, shifting from in-person events to tech-based interactions.

Q: What challenges did Ron face in transitioning to virtual platforms for poetry outreach?

Ron had to learn new tech skills and overcome the limitations of virtual interactions to maintain his role as Poet Laureate effectively.

Q: What is the Poets of Resilience project, and who is it targeted towards?

The Poets of Resilience project aims to give a voice to seniors through poetry, providing them a platform to express themselves creatively during challenging times.

Q: How has Zoom and virtual platforms impacted Ron Salisbury's reach and audience for poetry teaching?

Zoom has expanded Ron's class sizes and audience reach, allowing him to connect with poets from different parts of the world and create a more diverse poetry community.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ron Salisbury details his experience as Poet Laureate in San Diego and the challenges of promoting poetry during COVID.

• He discusses the shift to virtual outreach and the Poets of Resilience project geared towards seniors.

• Ron shares insights on poetry, teaching, and the impact of virtual platforms on reaching a wider audience.