The annual Robinson Jeffers Fall Festival presents a three-day celebration of one of America’s great poets. The opening event is a sunset celebration, held in the Tor House Gardens Friday, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 26304 Ocean View Ave, Carmel. Fine wines and hors d’oeuvres will be served in the garden with poetry read by Taelen Thomas and Elise Rotchford. Liyanna Sadowski, harpist, will perform some of Una Jeffers’ favorite music in the Tor House dining room. Reservations are required for this $20 event.
Lectures and presentations will provide four unique views into Jeffers’ life and work, starting at 9 a.m., at The Carmel Woman’s Club, SW corner, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. Attendees will hear about how Jeffers captured the customs and culture of the Big Sur and Monterey area in his poetry in a presentation by John Walton, Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology, U. of California, Davis. Jeffers influence over other creative minds of his time such as Ed “Doc” Ricketts, John Steinbeck, and Joseph Campbell will be described by Gere diZerega, M.D., Professor, Keck School of Medicine, USC. Renowned Jeffers biographer James Karman, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Chico, will discuss Jeffers Family life at home, with details gleaned from his newly published second volume of Collected Letters, which will also be available for purchase. Tor House Photographic Archivist Joan Hendrickson will present a visual tour of life at Tor House. Lectures Saturday are $60 for the full day pass, with reservations required. A $75 ticket gains entry to the Friday Sunset Celebration and all Saturday’s lectures.
On Sunday morning the traditional Jeffers Poetry Walk will be guided by Jean Grace and Lindsay Jeffers. The free walking tour starts at 9AM at Monastery Beach (aka San Jose Creek Beach), just north of Pt Lobos State Park. Park on the west side of Rt 1 and meet near the south end of the beach. Bring a favorite Jeffers’ poem to share and a bag lunch for a noontime picnic on the beach. Dress in layers for unpredictable weather. Note that this is a change from the usual location at Carmel River Beach due to storm erosion.