New poetry series at home of Ann and Rick Buxie hailed as important addition to Malibu cultural landscape.
By Hank Pollard / Special to The Malibu Times
For the last five years, longtime Malibu residents Ann and Rick Buxie have made their home available for performances of “Tales by the Sea,” monthly gatherings in which professional storytellers assemble to tell original stories. Now they’re expanding. Earlier this year, a “Poetry by the Sea” series was been added to the rotation.
Ann Buxie has always been interested in listening to stories, particularly personal stories, and attends the annual National Storytelling Festival.
“Hearing personal stories is an opportunity for people to share who they are with others,” Buxie says. “It strengthens the community and fosters understanding and acceptance. It is oral history.” She agrees with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who said, “To be forgotten is to die a little.”
More than fifteen years ago, Buxie began producing the “Tales by the Sea” storytelling performances at the Malibu United Methodist Church. The venue subsequently moved to her spacious home off Trancas Canyon Road. The performance area has accommodated as many as a hundred people. Mulled cider, organic vegetable soup and warm bread are served. There is no admission charge and donations are not solicited.
The storytellers are professionals who perform at storytelling festivals, college campuses and various other venues around the country. Each performance at the Buxie home has a theme, from “Our Folks: Mother, Father and Others” one time to “Heroes: Lovers and Other Personal Matters” another. Each session typically includes five to eight storytellers, whose fees and the other costs are defrayed in part by occasional grants from the City of Malibu.
This year Ann’s Malibu friends Ellen Reich and Ellen Cohen, both published poets, began producing “Poetry by the Sea” readings at the Buxie home. Ellen Reich, who has had several of her collections published and contributes to poetry anthologies, says, “For so many years Malibu was without a continuing poetry venue. Malibu is a community with a rich diversity of talent and now, thanks to Ann and Rick Buxie who have opened their home and their hearts to poetry, we believe that the “Poetry by the Sea” series will fill a much needed void.”
There have been two readings so far this year and two more are scheduled for later in the year. They will be continued quarterly. The readings have featured published poets reading their own work, followed by an open microphone permitting members of the audience to read their poetry. The reading scheduled for July 15th is themed “Dances with Danger” and will be open microphone. There will be another reading in October. For reservations and directions, email Ellen Reich at easgr@charter.net or call Ellen Cohen at (310) 457-5783.