Vallejo Poet Laureate Genea Brice 2015-2017
“A poet laureate is a poet officially chosen by the government. They are the voice of people in poetry and prose.” — Dr. Genea Brice, Vallejo’s 1st Poet Laureate
It is because of Genea that our city of Vallejo has a Poet Laureate program. She lobbied and worked hard to establish the program in 2015 alongside a poetry committee consisting of the local chapter of the Links and the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation. She also established and hosted the Poetry in Notion group at the library beginning in the fall of 2015.
Her biography follows:
Poet, author, public speaker, and teacher, Dr. Genea S. Brice was raised and reared in Vallejo, CA. A graduate of Hogan High School, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature, a Master’s of Arts and a Doctorate in Theology. Her works have appeared in several exhibits and anthologies throughout the Bay Area and beyond, including The International Library of Poetry, ThePoetryBox.com, and The Benicia First Tuesday Poets. She has published two books, and is a contributing author to a third. She has won numerous awards for outstanding achievement in poetry and literature, respectively. On July 28, 2015, Genea was named the First Poet Laureate of the City of Vallejo. This honor stands alone among the many significant achievements in her life. Hobbies include shoe shopping and going to the movies.
She received a Certificate of Special Recognition from Congressman Mike Thompson for her service as poet laureate in 2017.
Dr. Brice remains active in the poetry community, teaching workshops, and performing occasional poetry. Her official full biography and bibliography can be found online at http://www.geneabrice.com
City Council Proclamations
Selected Press
- Widjojo, Irma “Vallejo woman named cities first poet laureate”. The Washington Times.
- Freedman, Richard, “Vallejo’s former poet laureate stays at it “ Vallejo Times Herald
- Nina Serrano, Interview with Genea Brice
Bibliography
Published poems:
- October 7, 2020, “A Tuesday Text,” Benicia Herald
- June 18, 2021, “Galveston,” Benicia Herald
- April 2022, “Vacaville,” The Diablo Gazette
Her bibliography includes:
- A Way With Words: Poems, Prose, and Other Masterpieces, July 27, 2017, ISBN 9781973926818
- Weaned in the Desert, Xulon Press, February 3, 2010, ISBN 9781615797271
She is a contributor to:
- Yearning to Breathe Free: A Community Journal of 2020 Benicia Literary Arts. 2022. ISBN 9781735499925
- Peacocks & Poems 2024. ISBN 9798329454628
- Verses, Voices, and Visions of Vallejo. 2019 ISBN 9781724462633
- Poeming Pigeons: Poems about Birds (The Poetry Box) 2015. ISBN 9780986330421
- The Colors of Life (The International Library of Poetry) 2003.
- The Best Poems and Poets of 2005 (The International Library of Poetry) 2005.
- A Word for All Seasons (Benicia Literary Arts) 2014. ISBN 9780970373717
Return to current Poets Laureate biographies.
Click the links below to read biographies for the past poets laureate:
- Dr. Genea S. Brice – July 28, 2015-August 31st, 2017
- D.L. Lang – September 1st, 2017-December 31st, 2019
- Jeremy Snyder – January 1, 2020-December 31st, 2023