Welcome to the 10,000 Poems Website!

The 10,000 Poems Project was conceived as part of the 2005/2006 Steinbeck Chair Program. In the spirit of supporting literacy and the arts, Dr. Lawson Fusao Inada spearheaded this project to encourage people to collaborate in a creative effort with the goal of collecting 10,000 poems. The 10,000 Poems Project resulted in the participation of creative individuals from all over the world. Writers of all ages and backgrounds contributed their talent and time to make this project successful. Our hopes and expectations were exceeded; the grand total of submitted poems is 15, 972! 

Read more about Lawson Inada's activities in our community!

THANK YOU to all those writers who shared their creative efforts and their commitment to the arts.     View a list of poems, arranged by poet's last name Enjoy our current selection from the 10,000 Poems Project. We will post a new selection of the 10,000 Poems periodically throughout 2007.

 

Vision Statement for the Steinbeck Chair Program
Inspired by the land and the people of the Salinas Valley, John Steinbeck gave the world a portrait of the human condition that affirmed the strength of the human spirit. Motivated by this legacy, writers and artists today continue to explore our ties to the land, and to honor those who work the soil to nurture communities. With pride, the Salinas Valley prepares new generations to assume their role as leaders of our society. Educators, civic leaders and families work together to ensure that the values and strengths of our ancestors mold the character of our youth. Hartnell College, the National Steinbeck Center, the Western Stage, Partners for Peace and the Salinas Libraries express their commitment to preserving this rich heritage through the Steinbeck Chair.

Mission
To establish a John Steinbeck Chair at Hartnell College as a catalyst for community collaboration in support of literacy and scholarship in the Salinas Valley, in celebration of literature and the arts, and to foster pride in our communities rich cultural heritage.

Lawson Fusao Inada – the 2005/2006 Steinbeck Chair
Lawson Fusao Inada is regarded by many as the poet laureate of Japanese America. And his works go far beyond poetry, he is a writer, editor, educator and musician. An eloquent, dramatic and engaging speaker, Mr. Inada is also witty and very close to children’s and young people’s hearts.

Dr. Inada is a professor of writing at Southern Oregon University, Dr. Inada has published extensively. He was the first Asian American to publish a collection of poems with a major New York publishing house. He has won numerous awards, including two National Endowment of the Arts Fellowships, and has been one of the twenty-one poets to be honored at the White House, for a Salute to Poetry and American Poets. His second book of poetry, Legends From Camp, received the American Book Award and was featured on CBS.

Dr. Inada was born in Fresno, California in 1938. Describing his childhood: “Father’s people were sharecroppers but he became a dentist. Mother’s father started the Fresno Fish Store. During the War we lived in ‘camps’ in Fresno, Arkansas and Colorado”. Dr. Inada’s story is an American story. Few voices can articulate the experience of Asian Americans in the way Lawson Inada can. His life and work are a testimony to the resiliency of the human spirit. Dr. Inada’s approach to life experiences is one of compassion, warmth and healing. He has written extensively about his internment camp experience since it deeply affected who he is now. He insists that the American camps are a part of the American experience, with many patterns and connections.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. Other funding was generously provided by the Community Foundation for Monterey County, the Hartnell Foundation, the Harden Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Additional support was provided by our public program sponsors: Abramson, Church & Stave, Coldwell Banker/Gay Dales Realty, Community Bank of Central California, Courtyard by Marriott, Full Steam Marketing and Design, Pacific Gas and Electric, Penguin Group and Residence Inn by Marriott.

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