Vallejo’s Poets Laureate

“California’s poets laureate are vanguards of cultural change.” –California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia

Vallejo Poet Laureate Jeremy Snyder (2020-2023)

Poetry by the Bay host Jeremy Snyder was chosen as Vallejo’s third and current poet laureate. Congratulations, Jeremy!

Jeremy Snyder is the host of Poetry by the Bay since 2018, hosting over 100 shows over zoom during the pandemic. His work has been published in Verses, Voices & Visions of Vallejo and by Gnashing Teeth Publishing. He has interviewed on OZCAT radio and the Bloom Podcast, hosted the Solano Library Poetry Month celebration, and performed in Richmond, the Vallejo Beat Poetry Festival, and at Alibi Bookshop with fellow Bay Area poets laureate. He was appointed in January 2020 and his term was extended until December 31, 2023. He can be contacted at vallejopoetlaureate@gmail.com

Past Poets Laureate

“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

“A poet laureate is someone who encourages people to come together through poetry instead of resting on their laurels.” — D.L. Lang, Vallejo’s 2nd Poet Laureate

Vallejo Poet Laureate Genea Brice 2015-2017

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 bibliography includes:

She is a contributor to:

• Verses, Voices, and Visions of Vallejo. 2019
•  Poeming Pigeons: Poems about Birds (The Poetry Box) 2015.
• 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.

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.

Her official full biography and bibliography can be found online at www.geneabrice.com

Vallejo Poet Laureate D.L. Lang 2017-2019

Building on the solid foundation of her predecessor, in addition to hosting the JFK Library’s Poetry in Notion and Poetry Month shows, D.L. Lang began sending regular monthly newsletters to promote opportunities for her fellow poets including county fairs, local open mics, and a partnership with OZCAT radio for live on the air readings. Her poet laureate project was the creation of Verses, Voices, and Visions of Vallejo which was released to a record-breaking audience at the JFK Library’s Joseph Room, and raised money for the Vallejo Peace Project. She performed her poetry for the public at numerous poetry events across the bay area including featuring at My Word Open Mic in Berkeley, Gears Turning in San Francisco, FishBowl Poetry in Monterey, Rosanna’s in Benicia, the Solano County Library Foundation’s Why Poetry Event in Fairfield, and the Marin Poetry Center’s Traveling show in Novato. She also wrote and performed many occasional poems for local organizations, vigils, and rallies. She judged for Poetry Out Loud, the Joel Fallon Scholarship, Solano County Library teen writing contest, the Vallejo Poetry Slam, and the 2019 Solano County Fair Talent Competition. Other highlights included giving the invocation at the Vallejo Women’s Summit in 2019, attending the historic Gathering of California’s Poets Laureate, interviewing on KPFA radio with Nina Serrano, and reading Jewish poetry at Congregation Beth Sholom in Napa. She performed 141 times around California as poet laureate.

Her bibliography includes 14 full length poetry collections, and publications in the Jewish Journal and ReformJudaism.org  She is a contributor to over 50 anthologies worldwide.

Her official full biography and bibliography can be found online at www.dianalangpoetry.com

“Poetry brings people together instead of dividing them. Poetry can be a source of joy, a source of education, a reason for us to pause. We have had a poet laureate for four years now. No, it won’t fix pot holes, or pick up trash, but it can give people hope in hard times, and give them a healthy outlet for personal expression.” — D.L. Lang

Poet Laureate Proclamations