Inside the Unity of Santa Barbara Chapel, the Blue Whale Reading Series takes place every other month. Hosts Laure-Anne Bosselar and Christine Kravetz revived the series in 2023 after founder Steve Braff moved from Santa Ynez to Palm Springs. Braff first held the poetry readings outdoors at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, thus the series is named after the museum’s Blue Whale skeleton. One of the trademarks of the series is featuring local poets, something Kravetz enjoys. She said that “local” also extends to Ventura County. “I’d love to expand our audience,” she said. “And get to know younger poets and or more diverse poets in our community for future readings.” At each Blue Whale reading, there’s an opportunity for open mic readers, but you need to sign up at the door. This month, there was only one brave poet who signed up, Fran Davis, whose new novel is Red Summer (see story about it here). Diana Raab and I were the featured readers. When I found out I would be reading first, I expected to hear the brief biography I had sent to Christine back in January when she first invited me to read. However, she had taken time to ask fellow Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Emerita Perie Longo to identify a favorite poem of mine. It was such a unique and lovely way to introduce a poet, rather than simply read their usual bio. Perie chose my poem “Ode to Joy,” a tribute to the late Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, beloved former Poet Laureate, peacemaker, and community activist. From left: Fran Davis and Melinda Palacio | Photo: Courtesy Sojourner always had a knack for bringing the community together with her social justice poems. Last week was the anniversary of her death and it just so happened that the first poem I had prepared to read was “Ode to Joy.” I then read my series of ICE poems. I ended with two poems about my mother who was 44 when she passed away. I wanted to end my set on an uplifting note, so I pulled out my ekphrastic poem of Kermit the Frog, inspired at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Raab lit up the room with her self-effacing poems about aging, life, and motherhood. She brought much needed laughter to the room. Her husband, Simon, son Joshua, daughter-in-law Marley, and well-behaved grandkids Jahji and Cohen, watched with delight. Her poetry is grounded in both sensuality and spirituality. The ability to celebrate life’s joys and sorrows while seeing the humor in every experience is her forte. This week’s poetry connection features two of the poems Diana Raab read at last week’s Blue Whale Reading series. USUAL SIGNS OF AGING By Diana Raab You constantly talk about your health. Your joints hurt. You’re nostalgic for the past. You start each sentence with “back in the day.” You rather phone than text. You remember airmail letters. You only wear comfy clothes. You find people mumble too much. You have droopy eyelids. Your dog is your best friend. Your friends are all dying. You find all sidewalks uneven. You can’t remember what you had for breakfast. You bruise all the time. Your knees are your meteorologists. You stop: why did I come to the kitchen? You remember how cheap gas was. You don’t recognize the songs on the radio. Your pharmacist calls you by your first name. Your dinners are earlier and earlier. You don’t give a damn what people think. Ode to Hot Toddy on Sick Day By Diana Raab Golden-colored hot toddy, you glisten under tonight’s moon sliver as my throat aches for you. Your golden light flashes your love, flecks of lemon rind float about this whiskey swirled with honey from the bee that loves that buzz you give me. Never has one night been enough with you, Toddy, sipping from your cup, Toddy: my soothing drink, glittered with your love-tangy with the healing powers of ginger- silky like my legs cozy in the blankets- such longing brings me to you, Toddy. I can drink you over and over again to welcome in or end my day as I ebb from sickness to health with your sweetness, amorous, glistening. Your hues brighten my night, my delicious love. But more than sipping you, it’s your colors that sing the flames in my fever: an abundant and floral fragrance of you and your tipsy presence in my life. About the author: Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is a memoirist, poet, workshop leader, thought-leader, award-winning author of 13 books of nonfiction and poetry, and editor of three anthologies. Her work has been widely published and anthologized. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and The Best of the Net. She frequently speaks and writes on writing for healing and transformation. Her PhD in transpersonal psychology explored the healing and transformative powers of memoir writing. Her latest release, co-edited with Chryss Yost is an anthology entitled, Women in A Golden State: California Poets at 60 and Beyond (Gunpowder Press, 2025). Raab writes for Psychology Today, The Good Men Project, Sixty and Me, Medium, and is a guest writer for many others. Poetry Events Saturday, November 22 Laura Mullen and open mic, Mullen is the recipient of Ironwood Press’s Frank Stanford Prize and a Rona Jaffe Award, as well as fellowships from MacDowell and the National Endowment for the Arts. Poetry event at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd in Camarillo, 3-5 p. m. Tuesday, December 2 Storytelling Is the Revolution. Poetry Workshop hosted by Tayllor and Ademola Oyewole-Davis, a poetic experience that celebrates all our stories and connects us as a community. Free poetry workshop, the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 5-7 p. m. Sunday, December 7 EP Foster Library, Kali Bennett and Jose Enrique, 651 E. Main St. Ventura, CA host: Phil Tagart poetry first Sunday, 3 p. m. Monday, December 8 Lowstate Salon, An evening of supportive creative writing. The host will come with writing prompts and activities to get the creative work flowing. Bring paper, pens, and some willingness to write something new, weird, and wonderful. After the writing session, there will be time for anyone who wants to read or discuss their writing. Join us for inspiration and community with other creatives and writers. Casa Agria, 418 State St., Santa Barbara 7-9 p. m. Sunday, December 14.
https://www.independent.com/2025/11/23/poetry-connection-the-blue-whale-reading-series/