About me
Chris Olander, Poet/Teacher with Ca. Poets in Schools since 1984, blends performance techniques with spoken word to create an Action art Poetry: musical image phrasing to dramatize relative experiences--a poetry arising from oral and bard traditions: a sound poet exploring meanings and ideas in rhythm patterns.I've lived in Nevada City, Nevada County since graduating with an M.A. in Creative Writing from CSU Sacramento focusing on minimalist/performance poetry to get to the heart of a poem's meaning. My poetic interests include ecology, environmental action and relationships of all species in one's environment and human behaviors--life experiences in words. I have taught poetry writing with California Poets in Schools since 1984 throughout N. California and Poetry Out Loud students for competition. My students have placed first, second, and third in the California Arts Council's poetry competition for state championships.I enjoy spending my time in the Sierras along Hwy.395 and around Lake Tahoe exploring rivers, streams, lakes and climbing mountains and hiking. I have valuable knowledge in the following concerns:how to edit your work to get to the heart of your poem----How important editing your poems are for creative inspiration----How does sound add color to images and unites the poem's meaning with emotions-----How to improve your reading voice to engage the audience----the importance of memorizing your poemshow to lift the poem off the page to engage the audience with its sound and sense How does a writer support one's writing habits.
