By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
Pop-up poetry is a fun and fascinating way to use words. Local author and poet Candace Pearson has been enriching the community of Crestline for many years, since at least 2019, bringing poems to the people.
The concept and process are simple – a poem is written expressly for that person on the spot. A person comes to the poet, gives them a short interview – a topic or thought – and the poet chooses how to express the idea in prose. Then the amazed person gets to leave with a human-made instant free poem, written on a typewriter. However, not just any typewriter, but a manual typewriter, just to make the experience even more special.
Pearson has been doing this this instant poetry for years. She did it for the first time in Crestline in front of at Vicki Vargas’ Designed by Faith store, under the beautiful shade trees. Pearson said that the most difficult part of the poetry is that the poet types it on paper on a manual typewriter – obviously without spell check or correction.
This month Pearson invited two other recognized poets – Jeff Rogers and Lynn Thompson – to her pop-up poetry on the back patio of Encompass Antiques and Gifts, owned by Louis Boehle, president of the Crestline Chamber of Commerce. She set up her table right next to his rock geode cutting machine.
Rogers set up in the back corner and Thompson was writing next to the new shed in another corner of the patio. As people were waiting for their poem to be completed, they got to sit on Boehle’s back patio couch.
Thompson is a former Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. The Poet Laureate of Los Angeles serves a one-year term, acting as a cultural ambassador, hosting and promoting poetry events, outreach programs and public readings. To become the Poet Laureate of Los Angeles requires at least 10 years of professional poetry experience and a record of publication and invited presentations. This pop-up poetry writing event is exactly the type of activity promoting the arts that fits the definition of what a Poet Laureate should be doing. Thompson was recognized as the fourth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles in 2021-2022.
Lynn Thompson, the former Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, writing a poem for a local resident.
Rogers – who also came up from Los Angeles – is a poet, writer, performer and arts organizer whose work blends urban imagery, social commentary and whimsical storytelling.
Pearson herself is a recognized American poet whose work explores memory, accountability and the natural world. She is known for her poetry collection Hour of Unfolding, which won the 2010 Liam Rector First Book Prize for Poetry. She has been heard locally performing her poetry, during poetry evenings at the Paper & Clay bookstore in Crestline.
The three poets were scheduled to write poetry for three hours and at first wondered, since they were in the back patio, whether anyone would know about the event and come back to see them. They did not need to be worried, as there were people there waiting for a poet. Some of the those waiting shopped in the store; others sat on the couch waiting for a poet, often with people waiting for their poem to be completed.
A person who did not wish to be identified had received a poem several years ago from Pearson during a pop-up poetry event. She returned this day, searching out Pearson, saying the previous poem had been so inspiring and enjoyable, she wanted to do it again.
This pop-up poetry project is supported by a grant Pearson received from the California Arts Council. She has been recognized by San Bernardino County as the Poet of Crestline.
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