In today's newscast:
Monterey Poetry Festival
April is National Poetry Month, and local poets and creatives from around the region gathered at the Monterey Poetry Festival over the weekend.
Readings, open mics, workshops, and music were held at Old Capitol Books in downtown Monterey during the three-day festival.
Now in its seventh year, the local event draws people from all over, said the festival’s founder, Stephanie Spoto.
In past years, we've had people coming from New York and from Paris,” Spoto said. “This year we've had a pretty good contingency coming down from San Francisco.”
For Spoto, this shows writers are excited to hear other people's work and also to share their own.
“ There are all different kinds of topics, and I think that one of the things that's great about poetry in California is that people are so supportive.”
The festival is also a time to celebrate all voices in the region, said Monterey County’s poet laureate, Marie Boucher.
“Poetry is our medicine, the way we lift each other up, the way we speak truth in the time when truth is often suppressed," she said. "It's the way we hold each other in the dark.”
In Salinas, Downtown Book & Sound celebrated Latino Poetry on Friday, April 24, to mark National Poetry Month.
Big Sur Marathon
Crowds gathered on Sunday along Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel to watch the Big Sur Marathon.
Simon Ricci of San Francisco emerged as the winner of the men’s category, with a time of 2:23:47.
Elle Meyer of Big Sur won the women’s category with a time of 2:51:43.
