Reading, Writing and Rhythmists

Ten years ago, Debra Thorpe decided to bare her soul in front of a group of strangers, and found out she enjoyed reading her poems in public.

She stopped her readings after having children. But now they are older, and Thorpe found herself back in front of an audience last week at the latest installment of a poetry series at Crown Valley Library.

“I was nervous before I got there, but man, when I stood up I could hear my heart going fast,” she said. “But it felt really good. It felt like I belonged up there.”

Funded by a local poetry journal, the reading brought together 40 local lovers of words to hear Ruth Daigon, a poet from Mill Valley.

The series is an offshoot of Free Lunch, a poetry journal edited since 1988 by former Laguna Niguel resident Ron Offen.

With a printing of about 1,100 copies, Free Lunch is distributed to poets nationally and overseas. But last year, Offen decided that South County poetry lovers needed a new outlet.

“There’s not a lot [of live poetry readings] going on except from coffeehouses,” said Offen, who lives in Mission Viejo. “I wanted to bring in poets from outside the area.”

Offen received a $600 grant from Laguna Niguel and another $600 from Poets and Writers, a New York City-based nonprofit group.

The first reading was in February in front of an enthusiastic gathering of about 40 people.

“I was looking for an expansion of awareness toward what other people are writing,” he said, “and [to] give people a chance to hear what poets in other parts of California are saying.”

The series will run every two months, with a small break in the summer.

The next reading will be in June, Offen said.

Information: (714) 770-2239.