SACRAMENTO – California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia will be featured in an upcoming BBC Radio 3 Documentary episode airing this Sunday, October 1. Radio 3, BBC’s culture and music network, will broadcast the piece as part of its Sunday feature series, aimed at exploring the humanities from a more unique perspective.
Producer Julian May calls it a “radio road movie,” a 45-minute expedition documenting Gioia’s travels throughout California as part of his mission to bring poetry to all parts of the state. Gioia visits remote areas and less than conventional gathering places. Greeted by other artists and enthusiasts at every stop, eager for exchange, Gioia encounters people and places as different-and as equally Californian-as the next.
“In every county,” Gioia says, “I invite local talent to participate, especially the county laureates and teenagers competing in Poetry Out Loud. I don’t want to be a visiting celebrity. I want to be a catalyst.” Just beyond the halfway mark of his two-year term as laureate, Gioia has managed all but 13 counties in California. He intends to complete his 58-county tour, then start again.
Every County in the State of California, a radio road movie, is available to stream live from BBC Radio 3 on Sunday, October 1, at 10:45 a.m. PDT. The episode will also be available for download as a podcast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrscw/episodes/downloads.
To see photos from Gioia’s past events or a calendar of upcoming events, visit http://capoetlaureate.net. To inquire about hosting a poetry event with Gioia, contact Kimberly Brown, Public Affairs Specialist at the California Arts Council.
About Dana Gioia
Dana Gioia is California’s state Poet Laureate. Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in December, 2015, Gioia serves as the state advocate for poetry and literature in libraries, classrooms and boardrooms across California. An award-winning poet, Gioia is the author of “Can Poetry Matter?,” which is credited for helping revive poetry’s role in American public life. He is also the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts where he championed arts education. As state laureate, Gioia works to inspire a new generation of writers and celebrate California’s great literary legacy. For more information visit www.capoetlaureate.net.
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The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California’s diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Donn K. Harris, Vice Chair Nashormeh Lindo, Larry Baza, Phoebe Beasley, Christopher Coppola, Juan Devis, Kathleen Gallegos, Jaime Galli, Louise McGuinness, Steven Oliver, and Rosalind Wyman. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
