Photo by Kevin Hass 

Poetry in the Windows V expands the audience for contemporary poetry by placing poem posters in the windows of local merchants along the central business corridor of Highland Park, Figueroa Street. Poems are printed in English and in translation into one of the languages spoken in our community. One thousand copies of a guide to poster locations were published and distributed by businesses to the public. Poems were displayed from May 31 through June 30, 2003.

»Close up                                         Photo by Irene Fertik

Southern California poets were invited to submit three to five poems, none longer than 32 lines. Poets working in other languages were encouraged to submit poems in those languages, if accompanied by an English translation. The three jurors, Paul Lieber, Pireeni Sundaralingnam and Jackson Wheeler, met at The Rose Café in Venice to choose the winners. Fifteen poets were awarded $200 each. Ten honorable mentions received $100.

You can view their poems and posters from the list below.

Poetry on the Walls: This year’s Poetry in the Windows V posters had photographic backgrounds created by AAC members. A number of those photographs, along with a selection of poem posters from Poetry in the Windows I—IV spanning the years 1995 to 2001, were on display at the Collective's gallery space, Collective @ Avenue 50, 135 N. Avenue 50 from May 31 - June 30.

—POETRY IN THE WINDOWS V WINNERS—

FIRST PLACE
Mary Armstrong	The Edge
Richard Beban	Lives of the Poets: Chapter One
Larry Colker	Classified Ads, May 1, 1608
Sandra Cutuli	Refugee
Olivia Friedman	Heiress to the Laundromat
Linda Hoag	A Couple Embraces by the Silver Lake Reservoir
Charlotte Innes	“Those Crazed in Love Will Lick the Serpent as if it Were Honey”
Susan Kanga	International Store
Paul Koenig	Return Admission
Shahé Mankerian	Chloe Comes Quietly
Jim Natal	One-Footed Adult Crow. Reward.
Robert Peake	Neruda’s Grammar School Crush
Cathie Smith	Releasing the Birds
Barbara Sweeney	Hannah Donovan’s Great Granddaughter Makes Tamales
Sung Y. Yi	The Belt
HONORABLE MENTION
Hannah Ackerman	Fitting the Pieces
William Archila	An Empty Classroom, Lincoln Heights
Harry Bartron	The “Black Diamond”
Charles Becker	Haiku
Fernando Castro	Eddie’s Farewell
Jessica Goodheart	Instructions for the House Sitter
Ellyn Maybe	Myth
Brenda Miller	Five Months, in Washington
Lisa Marie Sandoval	Chola Love Song
Mary Kay Stam	Low
*YOUTH WOKSHOP POEMS
Tamara Castro	Rooster Head, The Gift
Carlos Merlos	The Mission
Tamara Castro, Henry Montoya, Carlos Merlos, Brian Sanchez, Lourdes Vargas	Questions No One Can Answer
*Students from Luther Burbank Middle School who participated in a 6-week workshop led by poet Suzanne Lummis held at Hathaway Family Resource Center.

The Arroyo Arts Collective Acknowledgements

The Collective would like to thank every one of the 137 poets who submitted to Poetry in the Windows V. Your continued interest in this project is greatly appreciated.

Thanks also to:
All the merchants along Figueroa Street who agreed to display a poetry poster in their windows. Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, Andrew Barrera, President. Mary Jo Bradshaw for computer skills, administrative support and patience. The Board of the Arroyo Arts Collective, Laurie Arroyo and Heather Hoggan, Presidents. Gurdon Miller, Kevin Hass, and Linda Hoag for cheerfully volunteering time and help. Betty Phoenix Wan for publicity. Cidne Hart for call for entries design, poster design, and invitation. Westcott Press for printing. Carol Colin for her drawing. The staff at Hathaway Family Resource Center, especially Jason, Nancy and Tessa, working with L.A. Bridges, facilitating the Luther Burbank Middle School afterschool poetry workshop.

For providing photographs for poster backgrounds:
Inka Bujalski, Joanne Chase-Mattillo, Kathy Gallegos, Cidne Hart, Kevin Hass, Jay Kevoian, Benette Rottman, Suzie Stroll and Deborah Thomas.

For translation of the poems:
Tara Baban, Masood Behshid, Inka Bujalski, Fernando Castro, Irina Chudnovsky, Jose G. Franco, Tibi Friedman, León García Garagarza, Madeline Janis-Aparico, Hilde Lu, Ofelia Mancera, Gina Nahai, Leslie Nord,Robert Peake, Lucian Plesea,Cristina Rodriguez-Hart, Lisa Marie Sandoval, Janos Szaktilla, Sung Y. Yi, and Rosa Zee.

Project Directors: Suzanne Lummis and Suzanne Siegel
Brochure: Cidne Hart
Photos: Irene Fertik

Poetry in the Windows is a project of the Arroyo Arts Collective in cooperation with the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce. Poetry in the Windows V is made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.