A Week of Festivities Will Focus on Poetry

“Respect the children of the poor, from them come most poets,” said the 19th century writer/satirist Mendele Mokher Sforim. Well, the children of the poor are abroad in the land working their magic, performing their work and conducting seminars to celebrate National Poetry Month and participate in the third annual Ventura Poetry Festival.

From Saturday to April 13, the Ventura Bookstore, City Bakery, Two West Coffee Co., Great Pacific Iron Works, Cafe Voltaire, Art City, Performance Studio and Franky’s will host events featuring dozens of poets, among them Carol Muske and Robert Peters.

The festival is funded by grants from the city of Ventura Cultural Affairs Office and Poets & Writers Inc. For details call Phil Taggart at 643-6282 or Jackson Wheeler at 483-1905.

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The Simi Valley Library Poetry Group is hosting open readings at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays in the Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road.

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Artist Andy Lakey claims his near-death experience led to an encounter with angels, which told him to create 2,000 angel paintings by the year 2000. He’ll discuss his book “Art, Angels and Miracles,” written with Paul Robert Walker, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Things From Heaven Bookstore and art gallery, 365 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Afternoon tea is a civilized pause in the day, according to Linda Wexler, who has spent years cataloging tea adventures in California. She will sign copies of her guide, “A Spot of Tea,” from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tottenham Court, 242 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

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Antony Anjoubault will sign “Racing Against Time” at 1 p.m. Saturday in Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., in Ventura.

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UP THE COAST

Steve Kowit, winner of the 1995 Santa Barbara Poetry Festival Prize and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, will be at Borders Books at 2 p.m. Saturday to conduct a writing workshop.

Kowit also will sign his new book, “In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet’s Portable Workshop,” at 7 p.m. Saturday in Borders, 900 State St.

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Frances Halpern along with Jon O’Brien is co-host of “Beyond Words” at 10 a.m. Sundays on KCLU-FM (88.3), Ventura County’s National Public Radio station.