Voices of Cathedral City
Proposal for a Poet Laureate for Cathedral City
Cathedral City has become known as a community that celebrates creativity, supports artists, and recognizes that the arts are essential to a thriving civic life. I believe the time is right to establish an ongoing two-year Poet Laureate position that reflects those values.
It would be an honor to serve as the City's first Poet Laureate and to use poetry to strengthen civic identity, encourage imagination, celebrate diversity, and create opportunities for people of every age to discover and share their own voices.
My Background
I have devoted my professional life to the arts. Alongside a career as an art curator, dealer, lecturer, and author of fifteen books on Asian art, I have built a career as a poet with three collections, including a forthcoming full-length book. I serve as an editor of The Comstock Review, was a 2021 Pushcart Prize nominee, and in 2026 became Poet-inResidence at Jim Budman Studio.
As Co-President of the Perez Art District, and the co-owner of Blasto Boy Guitars, I organize poetry readings, workshops, and open mics that have consistently drawn enthusiastic audiences of up to 60 people in the community space that is part of our guitar store. At the 2026 Idyllwild Arts Writers Week, I had the privilege of serving as both the opening and closing poet in the presence of former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and former Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson. Following the festival, director Brendan Constantine invited me to assist in organizing next year's Writers Week.
A Vision for Community
One of my goals would be to help make poetry a visible and welcoming part of everyday life in Cathedral City. I would welcome opportunities to partner with schools, the Cathedral City Library, the Senior Center, youth organizations (such as the Boys and Girls Club), assisted-living communities, local businesses, and arts organizations to offer readings, workshops, and creative programs. I also hope to visit elementary, middle, and high schools regularly, mentor an emerging young poet to become the Youth Poet Laureate, and contribute brief poems or reflections at civic occasions when appropriate.
Collaboration has always been central to my work. I enjoy creating projects that bring together different artistic disciplines and encourage artists to inspire one another. Here in Cathedral City I continue to develop literary events in partnership with local artists and businesses. An example is the upcoming Graze & Praise event on October 4 in the High Desert, which brings together poetry, visual art, fashion, and community in a shared creative experience primarily from Low Desert artists in the City. I hope to continue fostering collaborations that celebrate the remarkable artistic talent found throughout our city and beyond in the Coachella Valley.
Voices of Cathedral City
My signature community project would be Voices of Cathedral City, inviting residents of every age and background to contribute poems and other creative writing inspired by the place they call home. Over the course of a two-year term, this initiative could become a lasting literary portrait of Cathedral City—celebrating its history, diversity, imagination, aspirations, and, above all, the many voices that make our community unique.
Closing
Cathedral City has distinguished itself by investing in artists and recognizing the importance of creativity in civic and community life. I believe poetry is an essential part of that vision. My lifelong career in Chinese art has taught me that the classical literati tradition viewed poetry, painting, music, and calligraphy as complementary arts that deepen and enrich one another. A Poet Laureate program, commencing in September 2026, would be another meaningful expression of Cathedral City's commitment to the arts. My hope is that it would encourage creativity, celebrate the diversity of our community, and help people of all ages discover the power of their own voices. I would be deeply honored to help build a literary culture that reflects the generosity, imagination, and creative spirit that already make Cathedral City such a distinctive place.
CLARE CHU