Joel Fallon (June 16, 1931 - August 11, 2016)[1] was the first Poet laureate of Benicia, California. He is the namesake of the Joel Fallon poetry scholarship[2] awarded annually since 2015[3] to high school students in Benicia, California. He was a founding member of the Benicia First Tuesday Poets, which meets at the Benicia Library monthly since 2003,[4] and also helped begin the Benicia Love Poetry Contest[2] and the annual Poets’ Picnic.[2] He was named Benicia's first poet laureate in 2005.[4] He helped Genea Brice[4] advocate for a poet laureate program in neighboring Vallejo, California. He also served as a vice president of Arts Benicia.[1] Fallon began writing poetry while serving overseas in the United States Army.[4] He was influenced by Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Charles Bukowski.[3]
Joel Fallon | |
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![]() Benicia Poet Laureate Joel Fallon | |
Born | June 16, 1931 |
Died | August 11, 2016 | (aged 85)
Occupation | Poet laureate of Benicia, California |
Works
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edit- Peery, Don, ed. The Book of Joel (Benicia Literary Arts, 2019)[5]
Chapbooks
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edit- Fallon Reads Fallon (2010)[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Joel Fallon Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ a b c Sestanovich, Nick (20 April 2018). "Poetry event to raise money for Joel Fallon Scholarship". Benicia Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sestanovich, Nick (14 August 2016). "Joel Fallon, Benicia's first poet laureate, dies". Benicia Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d Widjojo, Irma (26 April 2016). "Voices: First Benicia poet laureate shares love of the art". Vallejo Times-Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ "A Capitol celebration of Joel Fallon, Benicia's first Poet Laureate with launch of The Book of Joel". Benicia Herald. May 16, 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.