Poet Richard Blanco virtually visits MHS Creative Writing class

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From left to right: Founder of Creative Visions Kathy Eldon, MHS Creative Writing and English teacher Eric Carrier, poet Richard Blanco, Poet and Director of the City of Malibu’s Poetry in Schools program Jolynn Regan and Malibu’s First Poet Laureate and workshop instructor Ricardo Means Ybarra. Contributed photo 

The Malibu’s Poet Laureate poetry workshop has been hosting workshops for six years, and on Feb. 11, they received a virtual visit from Richard Blanco, the 5th Presidential Inaugural Poet for former President Barack Obama. 

Blanco was introduced by Kathy Eldon, the Founder of Creative Visions, made a visit to Mr. Eric Carrier’s Creative Writing class at Malibu High School (MHS). 

“Mr. Blanco spent two zoom sessions with the students reading his poetry and answering questions,” poet and director of the City of Malibu’s Poetry in Schools program, Jolynn Regan said in an email. “Blanco read one of his most famous poems, ‘Looking for the Gulf Motel,’ as well as sharing his initial drafts of the poem that would eventually become “One Today,” the poem he read for Barack Obama’s second inauguration.”

Regan said having Blanco speak was a great opportunity for the Malibu High School students.

“It was an epic time for all of us to partake in this event with Mr. Richard Blanco,” Regan said. “Blanco is the first immigrant, the first Latino, the first openly gay person and at the time, the youngest person to be the U.S. inaugural poet.”

Jolynn Regan, poet and director of the City of Malibu’s Poetry in Schools program, Eric Carrier, MHS Creative Writing and English teacher, Richard Blanco, poet extraordinaire, Ann Buxie, Malibu’s Current Poet Laureate, Ricardo Means Ybarra, Malibu’s First Poet Laureate and workshop instructor.