The ruth weiss Foundation

Haiku Poetry Contest: A Tribute To Tradition And Innovation 👑

Enter the poetry contest now and win up to $1200.

All poets and aspiring poets are welcome. All haiku is accepted (not just the formal).

https://zealous.co/theruthweissfoundation/opportunity/Haiku-Poetry-Contest-A-Tribute-to-Tradition-and-Innovation

Best of luck,
The ruth weiss Foundation

www.ruthweissfoundation.org

Welcome back poets!! We are here to announce that the 2024 annual grants are now open! The ruth weiss foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-proft organization whose mission is to create opportunities to support poetic artists through our annual grant program.

In 2024, the Foundation will be offering $6,000 in prizes that honor the craft of haiku poetry and illuminate the creativity of poets today. This is your invitation to explore the limitless possibilities of haiku, where each syllable is a brushstroke of your imagination, and every pause is a canvas for your creativity.

To apply, please submit to the link. Ensure that your haiku is original and has not been published before. We cannot wait to hear your work!

Thankful to all who joined our event in honor of World Children's Day! Congratulations to all the Winners and Finalists. Thank you to our Committee, the United Nations Association Los Angeles Chapter, our panelists from the Beat Museum, UNICEF, and Loving Way Foundation, and everyone who helped make this event possible!

Thank you so much to all the committee members for all their hard work reading and deciding our Maverick, Emerging, and Youth Poet Finalists and Winners.

This year there were so many amazing poets who applied, as founders are hearts were drawn to many of them but at the end of the day it was the committee's decision.

This year we created a Founders Award of $200 to a poet who really touched our hearts Emi Yamashiro-Hergert, for her poem the insssomniac hive mind.

We'd like to take a moment and give thanks to everyone involved in this year's poetry awards. And celebrate everyone who had the courage to write and submit their poems. We've had so many great ones and picking the winners was even harder. Thank you, everyone, for sharing your thoughts, and poems, and thank you for everyone that was with us for the in-person event.⁠
⁠
Let's celebrate the winners of the 2023 edition:⁠
Ariel Zhang, Youth Poet Award Winner⁠
Asma Al-Masyabi, Emerging Poet Award Winner⁠
MK Chavez, Maverick Poet Award Winner.⁠
⁠
Congratulations to everyone and may inspiration and creativity follow you everywhere you go. You all have wonderful stories to tell!⁠
⁠
Until next year.⁠
⁠

Honored to have Poet Laureate Kim Shuck presenting the Maverick Poet Award to a lucky poet tomorrow!

San Francisco’s seventh Poet Laureate Kim Shuck, writer, educator, and textile artist whose work evokes the California Cherokee diaspora, drawing both from traditional and contemporary Southeastern Native American life. As a member of the Cherokee Nation, she has a unique viewpoint on cultural innovation and tradition and has taught at San Francisco State University alongside her independent work as a poet.

We are honored to have Dawn McCoy hosting are panel discussion for "Mobilizing Change!" World Children’s Day: Poetry, Art, Film and Dialogue in partnership with the United Nations Association Los Angeles. Dawn is an NBC TV Host, Actor, Writer, Mother, Founder of Loving Way working on prevention and awareness about a child abuse in honor of her son, Waylon.

Dawn serves on the board of Holton’s Heroes, an organization that supports pediatric traumatic brain injury survivors and their families. She is also the Ambassador to No Kid Hungry and served on the James Beard Taste America Board. Her Dine & Dish with Dawn & Dawn’s Destinations food & travel segments can be seen on California Live on NBC as well as the Peacock streaming.

Emi Yamashiro-Hergert finalist poem, “the insssomniac hive mind,” explores the power of creative self-expression as a means to escape the pressures of a conformist society. The poem highlights Emi’s desire to use the platform of poetry to advocate for causes that she is passionate about, such as mental health and human rights. Read her poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/yamashiro-hergert

Join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event and see who wins the poetry award. RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Ava Chen, Youth Poet Award Finalist:

Her poem "Breath" contrasts the freedom every child should have growing up with the devastating effects war has on families. Read her poem: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/chen

1 day left to RSVP for the live event of the ruth weiss Foundation 2023 Poetry Award Ceremony. See you there?

📍James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles
📆 Sunday, November 19th
⏰ 3 PM - 5:30 PM

RSVP: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Thrilled to have Jerry Cimino, the Founder and Executive Director of The Beat Museum on our panel. Celebrating its 20th year, the museum celebrates the Beats, as in beaten down and beatific, were a collective of writers, artists, and thinkers that congregated in 1950s San Francisco.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-childrens-day-poetry-art-film-and-discussion-tickets-751329596047?fbclid=IwAR1dot0KePFLQJBMElkrtnu9kn-QZhHvdvCffRTx1CnOaYruo_YERkyjn_8

We are super honored and exited to have Poet and President of the United Nations Association Los Angeles, Shruthi Mathur as a presenter and panelist at our event this Sunday!

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-childrens-day-poetry-art-film-and-discussion-tickets-751329596047

Shruthi Mathur is an international visionary who works to bridge connections between Hollywood the United Nations and the vibrant arts and advocasy communities of Los Angeles.

Shruthi is the elected President of the United Nations Association of Los Angeles, a writer on the groundbreaking, girl-power Disney TV series, MIRA Royal Detective, and a motivational speaker and poet who recently gave the Keynote Speech for the UN Day of the Girl LA Summit.

The proud new mother has a mission to lead this next generation of youth globally through the sharing of wondrous stories and building a “calmpassionate” community of holistic humanitarians.

She was chosen as one of Role Model Magazine’s Unstoppable 100: Trailblazing Women and Girls Shaping Our World Today, with her work to be featured in their upcoming coffee table book.

After studying International Relations, Media, & Theatre at Johns Hopkins University, Shruthi began her career working at the United Nations and White House as the 1st female TV Correspondent reporting for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as other TV channels in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She has also worked at the Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, and traveled across the US reporting on the NPS National Heritage Areas.

Shruthi began volunteering at 15 and has served one of 8 Regional Ambassadors and National Youth Council Appointees for the American Red Cross, as a Poet and Speaker with UN Women, and on the UNICEF and UNA delegations speaking on Capitol Hill. She is a frequent in studio guest on LA TV Network’s flagship talk show, “Get it Girl” and was chosen as one of 5 super moms to be spotlighted in a groundbreaking new series “Mami Got This”.

Shruthi loves being a Mentor with the Children’s Media Association & Etre Girls, and is excited to moderate an upcoming Inspiring Girls x Cacharel L’Oreal Role Models panel.

Selene Jiang-Qin is a high school student from San Francisco and now a Youth Poet Award Finalist. As she explores and grows, she returns to creating art to celebrate her inner child. Poetry has been her latest source of inspiration. Her untitled poem reflects the inner child that echoes within everyone. Read her submitted poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/jiang-qin

Don't forget to join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event and see who wins the poetry award. Reserve your seat: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Megumi Jindo a Youth Award Finalist:

Through writing and sharing “Acrylic Snippets of a Future,” she wants people to understand that we should try to cradle and achieve peace as much as possible so that children don’t need to go through the horrific ramifications of war and other impactful events on Earth. We all want to create a life for the next generation that’s fillled with the little moments of joyfulness that we’ve been able to feel at present and in our childhood. To fulfill that project, we must reflect on what has made us the most happiest and how can we then bless those hopes onto our next era of children. “Acrylic Snippets of a Future” is a vision to cherish: a calling to the world. Read the full poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/jindo

Don't forget to join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event and see who wins the poetry award. Reserve your seat here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/. See you there?
⁠

Ariel Zhang, Youth Poet Award Finalist:

"you can’t be alive and still write poetry" strives to advocate that we are all interconnected. In order to rebuild a space for children to have the freedom to grow and know that all doors of possibility and love are open for them, we must first see that, in times of war, we are more alike than different because we are all human. Only then can we join hands and find resilience and peace. Read "you can't be alive and still write poetry" here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/ariel

Join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event and see who wins the poetry award. RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Asma Al- Masyabi, Emerging Finalist:

She often uses poetry as a way to process the world, as she does with “The Future I Feed My Brother,” which she dedicates to her younger brother. She’s currently pursuing a degree in creative writing at the University of Colorado Denver and looks forward to a career filled with words and art, her two biggest passions. Read the poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/asma

We're looking forward to hearing Asma and other talented writers recite their poems at the ruth weiss Foundation 2023 Poetry Award Ceremony.

📍James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles
📆 Sunday, November 19th
⏰ 3 PM - 5:30 PM

RSVP: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/

KTLA News: "On Sunday, November 19th, 2023, the ruth weiss Foundation invites the global community to come together to promote international togetherness, raise awareness among children worldwide on the occasion of UN World Children's Day at the University of California, Los Angeles James Bridges Theater from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM PT. This day offers a significant opportunity to advocate for children's rights, fostering dialogues and actions that contribute to a brighter future for the world's children."

Read the news article to find out more about the event: https://ktla.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/666317660/world-childrens-day-for-peace-poetry-art-film-and-dialogue/

World Children's Day for Peace: Poetry, Art, Film, and Dialogue Celebrating the work of artists who utilize their craft to inspire positive change, fostering dialogues that contribute to a brighter future for all children. LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, November 4, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Sunday, November 19, 2023, we invite the global community to come together to...

The partnership between the ruth weiss Foundation's Annual Poetry Awards and the United Nations Association highlights the intersection of war, social justice, and art. And we invite you to join us for the ruth weiss Foundation 2023 Poetry Award Ceremony on Sunday, 19th November from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles.

The event will include a gallery of art and poetry featuring youth and established artists. It will also showcase performances by the winners of the Maverick, Emerging, and Youth poetry awards, followed by a screening of the Emmy Award-Winning documentary, "ruth weiss, the Beat Goddess". A Q&A discussion with organizations working in the field of child rights worldwide.

RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Kristal Phillips, Emerging Finalist:

Specialising in ekphrasis, she finds endless fascination in the interplay between art and literature, the visual and the written, and finds it a useful tool for inviting discussion and impelling the dialogue forward. Her debut collection will centre around the unconscious idealised images we keep of the people we love, and the consequences, both positive and negative, this retention can have on personal growth. Read her poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/phillips

Join us on Sunday, November 19th, at 3 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event celebrating her and other talented writers. RSVP: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Claudia Angelillo is a life-long artist, poet, and writer in the New York City area. Her work promotes neurodiversity, ancestry, and viti/viniculture. She is honored to be acknowledged by The ruth weiss Foundation for her work. Read her poem submission for the Emerging Poet Award here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/angelillo

Join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event to see who wins the poetry award. RSVP: www.ruthweissfoundation.org
⁠

E.M. Collins, Emerging Finalist, has been writing poetry for nearly three decades. Her work has been featured in many prestigious literary magazines and bathroom stalls. She currently lives near Washington D.C. with her partner and children who she raises with an appreciation for soup and other acts of kindness. Read her poem "Why Soup" here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/collins

Join us on Sunday, November 19th, at 3 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event celebrating her and other talented writers. RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Amanda Dutkiewicz, Emerging Finalist:

Her fiction dictates the shifting creases of the mind, the body, and the present spirituality of water as a source of self-creation and self-expression, particularly where contradictions form as horror--but also joy. She finds inspiration in the archive and in the exchanges of strangers everyday. Read her poem 'Game' here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/dutkiewicz

And join us in person Sunday, November 19 at 3 PM at the James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles to hear the poem recited by Amanda and find out who are the winners for the ruth weiss Foundation 2023 Youth, Emerging and Maverick Poetry Award. RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

Join us as we celebrate World Children's Day for Peace with poetry, art, film, and dialogue on Sunday, November 19th. And we award the finalists in the ruth weiss Fundation Youth, Emerging and Maverick Poetry Awards 2023 edition. We recognise the work of artists who utilise their craft to inspire positive change, fostering dialogues that contribute to a brighter future for all children. The event is open to the general public, reserve your seat here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/

📍James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles
📆 Sunday, November 19th
⏰ 3 PM - 5: 30 PM
⁠

Freshly pressed in KTLA5: World Children's Day for Peace: Poetry, Art, Film, and Dialogue

"The partnership between the ruth weiss Foundation's Annual Poetry Awards and the United Nations Association highlights the intersection of war, social justice, and art. By bringing together artists, poets, filmmakers, and advocates, we aim to address the critical issue of war's impact on children and the collective responsibility to safeguard their future."

Read more about it here: https://ktla.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/666317660/world-childrens-day-for-peace-poetry-art-film-and-dialogue/

MK Chavez, Maverick Finalist:
Chavez’s poem One Night, Long ago, My Mother Took Me Into the Woods to Lose Me is a love letter to wilderness and all the living beings within her who save us every day. https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/mk

Join us on Sunday, Nov 19th, at 3 PM at the James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event celebrating her and other talented writers. RSVP for the event here: www.ruthweissfoundation.org

Arami Walker is a musician, author, and activist focused on empowering women and people of color. And now a ruth weiss Foundation Maverick Finalist. Read her full poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/walker

Join us Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles for an exciting event and see who wins the poetry award. RSVP: www.ruthweissfoundation.org
⁠

In collaboration with the ruth weiss Foundation and United Nations Association Los Angeles Chapter, we are delighted to co-host an event dedicated to raising awareness about the impacts of war on children and exploring solutions through art, poetry, film, and dialogue.

The event features diverse activities designed to promote peace and well-being for children, including poetry readings, art displays, film screening, and panel discussions. By bringing together artists, poets, filmmakers, and advocates, we aim to address the critical issue of war's impact on children and the collective responsibility to safeguard their future.

Join us on Sunday, November 19th, 2023 at 3 PM at the James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles as we honour UN World Children's Day. The event is open to the general public. RSVP here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/
⁠

J. Everett Wilson is a Tennessean poet, whose writing centers mostly on mental health and advocacy. They care deeply about giving a voice to those who have been silenced. Their poem “On Speech” is reflective of that, and comes from their own experience being silenced as a child and beyond. Read their full poem here: https://www.ruthweissfoundation.org/2023-awards/wilson

And remember to join us at the poetry award ceremony on Sunday, November 19th from 3 PM - 5:30 PM at James Bridges Theater in Los Angeles. RSVP here: www.ruthweissfoundation.org
⁠
⁠