The Community of Writers is made possible with grants of these institutions, friends, former participants, and faculty.
This page is updated annually at the beginning of each year. It was updated on January 7, 2022.
The Community is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. Donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Financial Supporters
PATRONS
Eddy & Osvaldo Ancinas • Anonymous • Bobbie Bristol Kinnell • Ken Haas • Leslie Berriman & Nion McEvoy • Jeremy Nobel • Nancy & Fred Teichert
BENEFACTORS
Michael Carlisle • Jodie Ireland & Chris Baker • Joseph Heinrich • Jessica O’Dwyer • Sharon Olds • Steve & Michele Rempe
LEADERS
Robert Austin • Susan Bockus • Sarasota Books • Cai Emmons & Paul Calandrino • Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation • Katherine & John Gravendyk • Thomas Jones • Marilyn Kallet • The James & Susan McClatchy Fund • The Burnett Miller Family • Carlin & James Naify • Janet & Michael Pietsch • Howard Price • Jason Roberts • Lucinda Watson • The Family of Cecile Weaver • LaVerne Woods
CONTRIBUTORS
Anonymous • Kazim Ali • Kevin Arnold • Toby Bielawski & Amy Burr • Jan & Bob Buscho • Max & Brookes Byrd • Frances Dinkelspiel • Carol & John Eding • Brenda Hillman • Lauren Howard • Debbie & Lester Lennon • Emily Malsam & Michael Melas • Nancy & Larry Mohr • Kimberly Nunes • Kris O’Shee • David Radin • Robin Radin • BJ Robbins • Deborah Dashow Ruth • Julia & Charles Siler • Evie Shockley • Frances Stroh • Patrick & Julia Park Tracey
SUSTAINERS
Reagan Arthur • Joan Baranow & David Watts • Dan Bellm & Yoel Kahn • Brett Christman • Kristi Crutchfield Cox • Michael Anna de Armas • Victoria & Fred Dalkey • Bill Donahoe & Kristin Klein • Cornelius Eady • Selden & Gaby Edwards • Kristin Engelhardt • Alex Espinoza • Blas Falconer • Carmen Fought • Deborah Friedman • Pamela Gaye Walker • Charlie Haas & B.K. Moran • Mary Hester • Brenda Hillman • Rhoda Huffey & Bill McDonald • Dana Johnson • Alice Jones • Mary Ladd & Oscar Villalon • Anne Lamott • Michelle Latiolais • Lilliana Mendez-Soto • Holly Myers • Mark Rauzon • Don Rogers • Laura Rosenthal • Rosanne Scott • Evie Shockley • Cindy Spiegel & Peter Kupfer • Elizabeth Sullivan • Vonetta Young
PARTNERS
Anonymous • Lisa Alvarez & Andrew Tonkovich • Helen Atsma • Ann Bancroft • Carolyn Beaham West • John Beasley • Gene Berson • Laurel Blossom • Julie Ritter Borsa • Mary Bourke • Jay Brecker • Jeffrey Burbank • Don Mee Choi • Brian Chung • Susan Cohen • Jessica Cohn • Kirk and Kathy Colvin • Judy Crowe • Leslie Daniels • Tracy A. DeBrincat • John Richard DeSimone • Dirk E. Eshleman • Karen Fang • David Farris • Ann Foley & Larry Ruth • Forrest Gander • Daniela V. Gitlin • Sands Hall • Ann & Charles Halsted • Jimin Han • Sharon Lawrence Harper • Bill Haxton • Donna Henderson • Mary Hester • Katherine Hover-Smoot • Yang Huang • Molly Jackson • Joy Johanessen • Norman Johnson • Stephanie Kegan • Laura King • Janine Kovac • Ronald Lauderbach • Michael Lavigne • Thomas A. & Laurel Lippert • Maureen Loftis • Bonnie Long • Lauren Glen Louis • Denise Heyl McEvoy • Anthony J. Mohr • Carrie Nassif • Barbara Falconer Newhall • Andrew Nicholls • Roy Otis • John Parsley • Jill Juanita Peacock • Marianne & Jim Porter • Sara Joyce Robinson • Robert F. Schladale • Helen Sedwick • Katherine Seligman • Bob Simmons • JH Simon • Arthur Solway • Bob Stanley & Joyce Hsiao • Janice Stone • Geri Thayer • Carey Walker • David Walton • Monica Wesolowska • Dru Anthony Williams • Cory Wilson • Leonore Wilson • Issam Zineh • Aliesa Zoecklein
FRIENDS
Anjali Alban • Karla Arens • Carolene Armer • Anonymous • Marcia Beck • Lucy Biederman & Brian Gaudino • Wendy Brandts • Ellen Bravo • Paul Tolliver Brown • Tavia Cathcart • Jeanne Claus • Denise Emanuel Clemen • Lawrence Coates • Merrill Collett • Judy Brackett Crowe • John Daniel • Hayes Davis • Jackie Davis Martin • Nora Demleitner • Donna DiGiuseppe • Vinessa Anthony DiSousa • Dawn Dorland • Mimi Drop • Gayle Early • Suzanne Edison • Patty Enrado • Joan Fauber • Susan P. Fernandez • Barbara Fischkin • Rebecca Fish Ewan • Don and Karen Fisher • Molly Fisk • Kevin Fitchett • Whitney Fuller • Vishwas Gaitonde • Josie Gallup • Beth Giddens • Kathy Gilbert • Judy Halebsky • Theresa Haney • Ann V. Hanna • Stephany Havens • Alicia Hokanson • Rachel Howard • Christina Hutchins • Jodi Jackson • Shellan Jackson • Stephanie Johnson • Yeva Johnson • Len Joy • Merrill Kagan-Weston • Hari Bhajan Khalsa • Caroline Kim • Jeffrey Kingman • Danusha Laméris • Joan Lester • Robert Lipton • Paulette Livers • Sarah Maclay • Nick Makoha • Richard Markuson • Mark Maynard • Phyllis McConn • Erin McCoy • Marcia Meier • Holly Montgomery • Leslie Morris • Gail Newman • Jude O’Nym • Cherilyn Parsons • Mary Jean Pramik • Danette Rivera • Lois Rosen • J.C. Ross • Eliot Schain • Evan I. Schwartz • Vandana Sehrawat • Lois Shelton • Angela Siew • Jen Siraganian • Terry L. Slaney • Martin J. Smith • Sherry Smith • Scott Snibbe • Scott Sparling • Joan Springhetti • Sue Staats • David Stallings • Janice Stone • Caroline Szymanski • Karen Terrey • Marci Vogel • Paul Watsky • Janet W. • Tim Wendel • Mark Wiederanders • Mary Winegarden • Diane Wolff • Marilyn Wronsky • Michelle Yang • Sandy Yang • Matthew Zapruder • Faith Zobel
Grant Sponsors
California Library Association • California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant • California Center for the Book • The Literary Arts Emergency Fund from the Poetry Foundation • Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation • InkWell Management Literary Agency • The Lojo Foundation • Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation
Corporate Matches and Sponsors
Benevity Giving Platform • Boeing • CrunchBase • Google • Salesforce.com • TechSoup • University of Notre Dame
Elves
Cameron Diiorio • Kat Feiling • Lindsey Gordon • Ashlyn Hardie • Dashiell Jones • Hunter Jones • Corey LoDuca • Sara Pardlo • L. Tonkovich • Amelia Wirick
EVENTS
Why to These Rocks: 50th Anniversary Poetry Anthology Events
Deep thanks to Lisa Alvarez, Laura Howard, and Eva Melas for countless hours planning these anthology events.
Marin Poetry Center and the Mill Valley Public Library and Meryl Natchez; opening music by Cornelius Eady and his CE Trio. Readers included Cornelius Eady, Brenda Hillman, Evie Shockley (via recording) along with Pulitzer Prize winners Forrest Gander, Robert Hass, Sharon Olds, and Gregory Pardlo.
Studio One with producers Casey McAlduff and Sheila Davies Sumner. Readers included Kazim Ali, Arlene Biala, Jennifer Swanton Brown, Blas Falconer, Molly Fisk, Major Jackson, Danusha Laméris, Robert Lipton.
Mechanics Institute with Laura Shepard and Pam Troy. Readers included Heather Altfeld, Mónica de la Torre, Shangyang Fang, Ken Haas, Troy Jollimore and Margaret Rhee.
Sierra Poetry Festival with Eliza Tudor, Judy Crowe and Maxima Kahn. With Readings by Chris Davidson, Christina Hutchins, Patricia Spears Jones, Francisco Márquez, Sharon Olds, Maw Shein Win, and Matthew Zapruder.
SkyLight Books with Emily VanKoughnett, Madeline Gobbo, Dylan Brown, and Yves Nuno. With Readings by Francisco Aragón, Joan Baranow, Katie Ford, Jay A. Fernandez, Lester Graves Lennon, Michelle Brittan Rosado, Vickie Vértiz, Sholeh Wolpé, and Charles Harper Webb.
Beers Books with Andrew Naify; dedicated to the memory of Al Young former California Poetry Laureate, and long-time CW Board Member and Workshop Leader; hosted by former Sacramento Poet Laureate Bob Stanley. With readings by Noah Blaustein, Victoria Dalkey, Blas Falconer Cody Gates, Brenda Hillman, Renato Rosaldo, Shelley Wong.
with a special appearance by Al Young’s son Michael Young, who will read Al’s poem from the anthology; and colleague Ray Tatar who will remember Al.
View More details about Why To These Rocks Anthology.
Festival Day
For Festival Day, we’d like to thank all the good people who made it possible. Many thanks to Jared and Julia Drake and WildBound Media for producing this event and providing video for the event. To Ellen Moore who smoothed the way so generously for the “Approaching Character” Conversation, and to Andy Lawless who documented and edited the recording. To Beth Ford (Glib Communications) for graphic design. Special thanks to Irene Yoon and Boris Dralyuk at the Los Angeles Review of Books. Thanks also to Lisa Alvarez, Sands Hall, Laura Howard, Eva Melas for their advice, wisdom and attention to myriad details. To Kazim Ali and Blas Falconer for their thoughtful interview. To Sands Hall, Louis B. Jones, Caridwin Irvine-Spatz and Gregory Spatz for spending the time to produce a lovely remote music video. To Will Richardson for taking us into the Sierras, virtually. And especially to Andrew Tonkovich for his enthusiasm, management and support of so many elements. To our Board of Directors for their deep care for this organization. We would also like to express our gratitude to all the others who are generously taking part in this day-long event.
FESTIVAL DAY DONORS
Corie Adjmi • Theodora Alves • Leora Amir • Eddy Ancinas • Anne Andersen • Charlene Anderson • Cheryl Andrew • Jody Ansell • Jay Antani • Dawn Armstrong • Amy Asay • Elizabeth Austin • Blaire Baily • Ann Bancroft • Angela Barton • Alex Beitz • Judith Blak • Carolyn Blank • Nancy Boas • Susan Bockus • Dawn Bonker • Constance Bouvier • Lori Bowman • Gayle Brandeis • Ellen Bravo • Mariah Briel • Susan Brunig • Mb Bujanda • Stephanie Burette • Wendy Burg • Roseanne Burke • Scott Carroll • Brett Christman • David Clark • Vivian Clausing • Victoria Clayton • Brian Cochran • Charmain Cohen • Victoria • Cook • Joseph Cotsirilos • Debra Cross • Judy Crowe • Andrea Dale • Leslie Daniels • Caleb Dardick • Ann Daugherty • Jackie Davis-Martin • Michae de Armas • Melanie Dearman • Nancy Devine • Tyler Dilts • Peggy Dobreer • Marissa Dunham • Tom Durkin • Christina Dwight • Kate Dwyer • Patricia Eagan • Lisa Eckstein • Elaine Elinson • Cai Emmons • Diane Falzarano • David Farris • Bobbi Feyerabend • Eileen Fiori • Molly Fisk • Julie Flynn Siler • Lynne Foltz • Beth Ford • Brian Fortune • Deborah French Frisher • Jackie Friedman Mighdoll • Caroline Frost • Whitney Fuller • Josie Gallup • Michael Garcia • Margot W. Garcia • Harriet Garfinkle • Kathleen Gibbons • Beth Giddens • Laura Gillman • Melissa Goldman • Kymn Goldstein • Julie Goodale • Ann Graham • Janie Green • John Groves • Alberto Gullaba • Esther Gulli • Angel Gunn • Jim Gunshinan • Sigrid Hackenberg • Sands Hall • John Kent Harrison • Margaret Hastings • Larry Hendel • Maureen Henderson • Harriet Heydemann • Jennifer Higham • Laura Hix • Chad Holley • Lorri Holt • Hillary Homzie • Kristina Horton-Flaherty • Lauren Howard • Rachel Howard • Jodie Ireland • Naomi Janowitz • Kathony Jerauld • Joy Johannessen • Meta DuEwa Jones • Eileen Jorgensen • Michele Jurich Schreck • Kat Kambes-Wright • Muriel Karr • Andie Keith • Christine Kerr • Bob Kim • Sarah King • Kaitlin Klaussen • Tom Koranda • Anu Krishnaswamy • Bill Kuechler • Erica Lansdown • Laurie Laren • Jackson Lassiter • Michelle Latiolais • Annina Lavee • Loreen Lee • Mary Leichliter • MJ Lemire • Ann Levine • Karen Lewis • Dominic Lim • Marisa Lin • Bonnie Long • Humaira Mahi • Laurie Mangicaro • Carla Mann • Avvy Mar • Ruthie Marlenee • Irene Martinez • Roberta Martínez • Michael Mattes • Andrew May • Kathleen McAvoy • JB McDaniel • Denise McEvoy • Michael McGreevy • Maggie McKaig • Amanda McTigue • Marcia Meier • Carol Menaker • Janet Miller • Mimi Miller • MJ Miller • Matthew Monte • Jessica Moore • Cathleen Moore • Sandra Morris • Diane Murdock • Linda Joy Myers • Carlin Naify • Andrew Nicholls • T. A. Niles • Joann O’Brien • SW Oliver • Roy Otis • PSK Page • Amanda Paoletti • Francine Parker • Jill Peacock • Kristen Peckinpah-Dennis • Caron Perkal • Karen Perkins • Cynthia Phillips • Carol Piasente • Bill Pieper • Kerry Radcliffe • Greg Randall • Sandra Reel • Ramona Reeves • Laura Remington • Steve Rempe • Diana Riesman • Hilary Roberts • Sara Robinson • Kim Rogers • Don Rogers • Irene Rosenthal • Elizabeth Rosner • Sandra Rouse-Berry • Melanie Rudnick • Beth Ruscio • Beth Ruyak • David Ryan • Stephen Saletan • Annette Salsman • Zlatina Sandalska • Jennifer Sargus • Dillon Sefic • Vandana Sehrawat • Katherine Seligman • Dimple Shah • Lisa Sheretz • Alice Simpson • Joan Springhetti • Elizabeth Stacey • Jan Stites • Betsy Stone • Jeanie Strong • Frances Sutz • Elisabeth Swann • Thomas Taylor • Judith Taylor • Fred and Nancy Teichert • Linda Temkin • Lisanne • Thompson • Catherine Thorpe • Lorinda Toledo • Christie Turano • Lorri Ungaretti • Claire Unis • Christopher Upham • Helen Valborg • Belinda Vidaurri • Mary Volmer • Joy Waite • Pamela Walker • Robin Wallace • Julene Weaver • Janine Weyers • Renee Whitworth • Tricia Wolanin • Laurie Woodum • Wendy Wornham • Anne Wright • Chandi Wyant • Jen Wyrauch Edson • Jami Xu • Nancy Young • Shei Yu • Desiree Zamorano • Elliott Zeller • Rachel Zemach
Benefit Poetry Reading
Many thanks to the poets who read and participated in the Benefit Reading:
Kazim Ali • Blas Falconer • Forrest Gander• Robert Hass • Brenda Hillman • Sharon Olds • Evie Shockley
BENEFIT DONORS
Laurel Anderson • Jody Ansell • Amy Antongiovanni • Ann Bancroft • Joan Baranow and David Watts • Joan Barasovska • Kathy Barr • Robert Basner • Amber Beitelshees • Ginevra Blake • Carolyn Blank • Daria Booth • Paulette Boudreaux • Marte Broehm • Cynthia Broshi • Jennifer Brown • Susan Browne • Deborah Buchanan • Karen Bullock • Leta Bushyhead • Jeremy Cantor • James Ciano • Mary Cisper • Cheryl Clayton • Brian Cochran • Veronica Corpuz • Kat Crawford • Sandra Cross • Tina Datsko de Sanchez • Chase Davenport • Michael de Armas • Terry DeHart • Aelxa Doran • Anne Dreyer • Eileen Fiori • Janet Fitch • Melissa Fondakowski • Beth Ford • Heather Foster • Sara Ellen Fowler • Angela Franklin • Whitney Fuller • Jenyth Gearhart-Utchen • Ellen Gordon • Amy Gottlieb • Teresa Greco • Judith Greene • Maria Guzman • Sands Hall • Marlana-Patrice Hamer • Meg Hentges • Harriet Heydemann • Madeleine Holzer • Kelly Houle • Lauren Howard • Christina Hutchins • Troy Jollimore • Georgia Jones-Davis • Charles Joy • Tamam Kahn • Diane Kallas • Muriel Karr • Ann Keniston • Hari Bhajan Khalsa • Caroline Kim • Jeffrey Kingman • Elizabeth Lapin • Mary Leichliter • Ananda Lima • Robert Lipton • Bonnie Long • Anna L. Loop • Leigh Lucas • Lynda Malavanya • Carla Mann • Michael Manning • Fred Marchant • Michael Mark • Paco Márquez • Holaday Mason • Dawn McGuire • Jules Mann • Sara Michas-Martin • Magdalena Montagne • Cecile Moochnek • Leslie Morris • Carlin and Jim Naify • Meryl Natchez • Camille Norton • Jennie Orvino • Jill Peacock • Caron Perkal • Mary Jean Pramik • Amy Raasch • Steve Rempe • Nicki Richesin • Mark Robinson • Stéphane Robolin • Margaret Rosenau • Laura Rosenthal • Alicia Ross • Beth Ruscio • Larry Ruth • John Schneider • Melissa Schwabacher • Leatha Sparks • David Stallings • Jim Story • Jennifer Sutherland • Kate Sweeney • Jacqueline Tchakalian • Nancy and Fred Teichert • Linda Thomas • Marci • Vogel • Elizabeth Weaver • Lynn Werner • Carolyn Wilsey • Maw Shein Win • Dot Winslow • Cindy Woods • Jami Xu • Nina Yamamoto •
Holly York • Aseen Zawaydeh • Georgia Zweber
Why to These Rocks: 50th Anniversary Poetry Anthology supporters
Major support for this anthology has been provided by Ken Haas; the California Center for the Book, a program of the California Library Association, supported in whole or in part by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian; and the alums and friends of the Poetry Workshop of the Community of Writers. Thank you!
Terry Adams • Lauren K. Alleyne • Kevin Arnold • KB Ballentine • Joan Baranow • Arlene Biala • Laurel Blossom • Jay Brecker • Jennifer Brown • Mary Byrnes • California Library Association • California Center for the Book • Penny Cagan • Kathryn Calkins • Deborah Casillas • Fran Castan • Sharon Charde • Brian Cochran • Susan Cohen • Judy Crowe • Victoria Dalkey • Amy Davis • Lucille Day • Rose De Anda • Michael Anna de Armas • Nehassaiu deGannes • Carter Douglass • Charles Douthat • Martha Elizabeth • Kelly Falzone • Jay Fernandez • Molly Fisk • Kevin Fitchett • Kari Flickinger • Richard Gabriel • Josie Gallup • Mary-Cecile Gee • Kathy Gilbert • Arthur Ginsberg • Kirk Glaser • Amy Haddad • Judy Halebsky • Quinton Hallett • Charles Halsted • Susie Hammond • Donia Harhoor • John Harvey • Kim Harvey • Sarah Heller • Donna Henderson • Ken Haas • Robert Hass • Carol Henrie • Grant Hier • George Higgins • Brenda Hillman • Maxima Kahn • Marilyn Kallet • Nancy Kangas • Bonnie Kaplan • Muriel Karr • Hari Bhajan Khalsa • Tehmina Khan • Johnny Kovatch • Devi Laskar • Ananda Lima • Robert Lipton • Moira Magneson • Fred Marchant • Beverly Matherne • Clive Matson • Matt Mauch • Dawn McGuire • Mark McKain • Joshua McKinney • Elizabeth McLagan • Sara Michas-Martin • Norman Minnick • Stewart Mintzer • Nancy Mohr • Joan Monheit • Berwyn Moore • Jeanne Morel • Leslie Morris • Meryl Natchez • Jude O’Nym • Kathleen O’Toole • Emilie Osborn • Myrna Patterson • Emily Perez • C. Pirloul • Shawn Pittard • Laurie Posner • Barry Rackner • Claudia Reder • Sandra Reeves • Steve Rempe • Renato Rosaldo • Lois Rosen • Yiskah Rosenfeld • Laura Rosenthal • Magali Roy-Fequiere • Marjorie Saiser • Eliot Schain • Laura Secord • Alix Anne Shaw • Maw Shein Win • Richard Sime • Joanna Solfrian • Mary Speaker • Celia Stuart-Powles • Richard Tayson • Jacqueline Tchakalian • Betsy Thorne • Alison Turner • Norma Valdez • Leonard Van De Graaff • Sally Van Doren • Marci Vogel • Jeanne Wagner • Paul Watsky • Elizabeth Weaver • Zoe White • Ahmand Wilson • Martha Yates • Harry Youtt
Paul Radin Memorial Dream Wagon Donors
Dream Wagon Founding Donors
David Radin and Robert Radin
With A Generous Grant From
The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation
Vardo
Eddy and Osvaldo Ancinas • René & April Ancinas • Michael Carlisle • Michael and Janet Pietsch • Steve & Michele Rempe • Cecile Weaver
Caravan
Reagan Arthur • Adam Cole • Nancy Evans • The Hall Family • Sands Hall • Joy Harris • William Haxton • Pam Rorke Levy • John Roberts II • Carlin & James Naify • Beth Ruyak & Mike McWhirter • Julia Flynn Siler & Charlie Siler • Nancy Teichert • Cora Yang & • Myron Marx • Pat Woeber • Vonetta Young
Wain
Marcia Bradley • Elizabeth Chapman • Susan Call • Charmaine Craig • Leslie Daniels • Thomas Ennis • Margot Garcia • Harriet Garfinkle • Jim Hill • Joy Johannessen • Calvert Morgan • Cynthia Newberry • David Paul • John Pula • Barbara Ristine • Logan Robertson • Greg and Caridwen Spatz • Elizabeth Tallent & Gloria Rogers • Mary Winsor • Kent Wright
And a big thank you to our wonderful Board of Directors and Program Directors for their constant guidance and support.