Art association releases valley anthology publication

An audience came to read and listen to poets at the Station

Photos and story by Catherine Stachowiak 

The Kern River Valley Art Association (KRVAA) held a reception, Saturday June 15, to celebrate and introduce its newly published anthology featuring various poetic works and art creations from Kern Valley poets and artists.

The KRVAA held the event at the Station building, in Wofford Heights, where KRVAA has opened a new coffee house and bookstore.  There the anthology holds shelf space. The KRVAA invites the public to purchase the book and visit the Station.

President of the KRVAA Christopher Buffalo Folsom read a poem, which he wrote about his good friend who recently passed away, Brent Puniwai, who was vice president of the KRVAA and an artist and screenplay writer, to whom the anthology is also dedicated.

President of the KRVAA Chris Buffalo Folsom

The anthology includes works of Puniwai, from his screenplay Badwater, which assistant editor Sandra Hughes formed into poetry.

Among those reading during the evening was the editor of the anthology, longtime poet John Peterson and back cover artist to the anthology Donna Miranda-Begay.

The anthology is titled “It Is The Land That Gets Us…” after a poem Peterson included in the volume. The editors included the works of about 20 poets and about 12 art pieces including the front and back covers.  Ages of poets in the work ranged from 8 to 98.

Hughes and Peterson also invited the public to their next four-week poetry workshop series called “Create A Poetry E-Book,” beginning July 18.