The following press release is published as submitted:
Poetry.LA is an online video showcase featuring established and emerging poets filmed at various venues throughout Southern California. It’s an up close look at a variety of poetic voices, including interviews with poets and publishers. The venues where poetry readings are held are also spotlighted to share with the poetry audience.
Poet/Artistic Director Hilda Weiss and Videographer/Producer Wayne Lindberg started Poetry.LA in January 2007 as a way to expose poets to a much larger audience beyond the intimate spaces of coffeehouses, cafes, bookstores and cultural art centers, where the readings are often taped. Poets can post the video links (uploaded to YouTube) in their emails and on websites, blogs, or social networking pages. Currently, there are more than 150 poets featured on Poetry.LA and the videos have received more than 70,000 viewings on YouTube.
Special features of the site include: 2008-2009 U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan’s reading at the Casa Romantica Series, video interviews with Cobalt Poets’ host Rick Lupert, the Ruskin Art Club’s Literary Programs Director Elena Karina Byrne (2008 Pushcart Prize winner), Red Hen Press’ Managing Editor Kate Gale as well as hosts of The World Stage Reading Series and Redondo Poet’s Coffee Cartel readings, among others.
Hilda Weiss’ poetry has been published (or is soon to be published) in G.W. Review, Nerve Cowboy, Poem, Poet Lore, Rattle, Salamander and Westview, among other publications. She has also read her work at local venues and when attending readings found that, “I’ve often heard a good poem at a reading and wanted to listen to it again. So, Wayne and I started out videotaping open mics and it evolved from there. We now update the site typically every month with videos of a half dozen new poets reading their work. Before we tape a poet we like to read their work and look at their publication credits. Since our end product is video, we are very interested in artists who have engaging performance styles. For that reason, we keep our camera handy for strong open mic performances,” states Weiss. Weiss and Lindberg also work on Poetry.LA with their Associate Producer Michael Child, a Los Angeles-based musician and poet. They hope to establish Poetry.LA as a non-profit arts organization.
Wayne Lindberg is a Los Angeles-based writer and videographer. His short fiction collection, Cary Malone and Other Stories was published by Nothing Moments Press in 2007.
His plays have been produced by various Los Angeles theatre companies over the past 25 years, including Pacific Repertory Theatre Ensemble, Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, Public Works and the Venice Mooney Company.
Hilda Weiss’ business experience also includes technical writing, PR writing and photography. She is an active Kundalini yoga student and holds a 4th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate.
Poets featured include: Anne Carson, Luis Campos, Larry Colker, Brendan Constantine, Sarah Cruse, Jawanza Dumisani, Ghetto Priest, S.A. Griffin, Juan Felipe Herrera, Gina Loring, Rick Lupert, Sarah Maclay, Mike the Poet, Holly Prado, Luis J. Rodriguez, Amy Uyematsu, and Pam Ward, among others.
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