Fairfield, CA
Home MenuPoet Laureate Suzanne Bruce
BIOGRAPHY
City council has selected Suzanne Bruce as Poet Laureate. Her term is from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024, during which she will advocate for poetry and the advancement of the literary arts. She will be called upon to create and read poems at public events and ceremonies, and also plans to have more poetry throughout various venues in Fairfield.
Suzanne was born and raised in Oklahoma and earned a B.S. in Education from the University of Tulsa and did graduate studies in Behavior Disorders at Wichita State University. She is a long-time member of Solstice Creative Writers in St. Helena, and active in the Benicia Literary Arts and the Solano Library Foundation.
Suzanne has done extensive ekphrastic work (poetry inspired by art) with artist Janet Manalo; their book “Her Visions—Her Voices,” was published in 2015. They also collaborated on a book, “Voices Beyond the Canvas,” which was published in 2007.
Suzanne would like to pair with the Fairfield-Suisun Visual Arts Association to encourage others to view art and write about it. Suzanne has hosted two major poetry fundraising events through the Solano County Library Foundation-- “Why Poetry Matters” in 2018, and “How Poetry Heals” in 2021.
Here's a feature we did on Suzanne:
Feature in Interlitq
Recently, Suzanne was invited to submit poetry for The International Literary Quarterly (Interlitq), who published four of her works under their” California Poet” series, which you can read here.
She was also interviewed by Interlitq editor David Garyan. In her interview she revealed her mission, "to give community voices diverse opportunities to be heard through creative writing" and said that "the real joy is when people come and feel comfortable sharing their poems!" To read her full interview, click here.
Suzanne Bruce can be reached at fairfieldpoetlaureate@gmail.com
Haiku in downtown Tulsa
Fairfield Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce has won another honor!
Each spring, the Downtown Tulsa Partnership (DTP) adorn Tulsa downtown’s public right-of-way with poetry and visual art celebrating the neighborhood’s vibrancy and inclusivity. Judges from Magic City Books and the Woody Guthrie Center select 10 haiku winners, and Fairfield Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce's haiku was chosen this year, for the second time!
Suzanne was born and raised in Tulsa and keeps in touch with their art programs. Out of 155 entries, only 10 were chosen! DTP commissions a local artist to design a digital backdrop for the art boards which are then installed along the downtown curb line for 45 days.
Writing the Land: A Collaboration between Poets and Protected Lands
The project coordinates poets and pairs them with land trusts, who then create poems inspired by the land.
Suzanne was involved with this project last May when she was contacted by the Solano Land Trust and Lis McLoughlin, (from Northfield, Massachusetts), editor of the project, to include poetry from our area, inspired by our protected lands.
Suzanne did a classroom workshop at Golden Hills Schools in Fairfield. Solano Land Trust provided slides and with the students, she discussed how humans can connect to land and why it is important to keep certain lands protected. Each student wrote a short poem or statement. Then she put lines from each student’s writing into a Cento poem, which is included in the book, Writing the Land.
Writing the Land included 13 pages in the book discussing all of the protected lands with Solano Land Trust, including pictures, the Cento poem and a personal poem of Suzanne's. There are 10 Land Trusts represented in the book from many different states.
If you would like a copy of this book, there are several ways to purchase it. You can visit Rush Ranch Outfitter Shop every 3rd Saturday from 10 am – 12 noon, or the SLT will have them available at their Open House on April 20. Rush Ranch is located at 3521 Grizzly Island Road, Suisun City, CA.
You can also find them on the Writing the Land website:
Writing the Land: Youth — NatureCulture (nature-culture.net)
Into the Light - May 25
Fairfield Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce, in collaboration with the Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association, invites you to write a poem to an art piece from the exhibit "Into the Light."
Exhibition dates : May 22 – June 29, 2024
Art Reception and Poetry Reading is on May 25, 4-6 p.m. at the Solano Town Center Gallery at 1350 Travis Blvd., #D-8, Fairfield, (inside the Solano Town Center Mall).
Art can be seen at the Gallery : Gallery opened Wednesday- Sunday 11 am - 6 pm or at Solano Town Center Gallery | fsvaa (fvaa-arts.org).
Send Suzanne your poem in a word doc or pdf with picture of art on the poem by 10:00am May 25.
For more information, email fairfieldpoetlaurate@gmail.com. Please keep your poem to 42 lines or less.
Hike & Write #4 - June 2
The event will be on Sunday, June 2 from 1-4 pm at Lynch Canyon (3100 Lynch Canyon Rd). The hike is medium level and will be approximately two miles. A docent will be leading the hike and sharing history and stories along the way. Please bring a pen and paper and water and snacks. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Parking is $5.
Monthly Poetry Column
Fairfield Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce will start a monthly poetry column feature in the Daily Republic on the first Sunday of each month. The premiere column will feature Suzanne’s original poem, “Voices of Fairfield”, but in subsequent issues, Suzanne intends to showcase other people’s poems and poetry from students in our community. She hopes the monthly “Poetry Connection” will be an opportunity for our youth to have their voices heard.
Suzanne is looking for poems about inspirational experiences, nature, and similar themes. To be considered, poems must be sent to Suzanne, before the 15th of the month prior to publication. Be sure to include a short introduction about yourself, your career, and where and why you enjoy writing poetry, with your submission.
Poems must be 39 lines or less and must abide by the Daily Republic guidelines of material suitable for publication. Poems with profanity will not be published.
Suzanne will select one poem each month and looks forward to hearing from aspiring poets!
Suzanne's Poems