A panel of five convened on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016 to hear presentations from four San Luis Obispo County poets for the position of 2017-2018 San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureate. The nominees were evaluated on their poetry, volume of published works, plans for their tenure, public speaking, and presentation skills. After thoughtful deliberation, the panel recommended Jeanie Greensfelder.
Jeanie Greensfelder, poet and retired psychologist, grew up in St. Louis. Her poems have been published at Writers’ Almanac and American Life in Poetry, and in multiple anthologies and journals. She has written poetry books: Biting the Apple, and Marriage and Other Leaps of Faith. Through poetry, she seeks to understand herself and others on this shared journey, as Joseph Campbell said, “filled with sorrowful joys and joyful sorrows.” Her poems can be viewed at jeaniegreensfelder.com.
In 1993, Jeanie and her husband Andy discovered the central coast and lived part-time in Cambria. They moved to San Luis Obispo in 1997 and have two children and four grandchildren. She volunteers at Hospice of San Luis Obispo and does bereavement counseling.
Greenfelder plans a countywide Coming Home to Poetry program to encourage people to come to scheduled library events and to inspire schools, book clubs, social groups and religious congregations to share and discuss their favorite poems; poems can bring us home to ourselves. Beginning in January 2017, Jeannie will serve as a resource and encourage the community to sign up for daily emailed poems. She looks forward to meeting with poets in the county to get their ideas and how they would like to participate.
The San Luis Obispo Poet Laureate program is coordinated by ARTS Obispo, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. Founded in 1981, ARTS Obispo, a nonprofit State-Local Partner of the California Arts Council, advances visual, literary and performing arts and celebrates culture and heritage countywide for artists and arts organizations. For more information phone 805.544.9251 or visit artsobispo.org.