Doren Robbins, Lesley Dauer and Linda Janakos presented their poetry on April 7 at Foothill College.

Robbins teaches creative writing and English. His poems and short fiction appeared in the North Dakota Quarterly and Poetry International. One poem from his performance, “The Song I Know my Father About,” was about his dad; he was a whistler and never listened to the radio, always preferring to whistle. 

He was inspired to write poetry whenever he felt alone. As a teenager he was popular. But for him, it seemed unreal. He had the feeling that he had to do something different from what others did. His message to the audience was to “live life to the fullest.”

Linda Janakos, who also teaches in the Foothill English department, earned various awards for her writing. As a filmmaker, Janakos completed a full-length documentary about Barbara Romain, a blind painter. Fictitious works are her forte. 

She described her writing as the way she expresses her perceptions of reality. She considers herself a dreamer – a very interior person. To get a better understanding of people, she stimulates the imagination both in and out of the classroom. Imagination is the most important, no matter what, she said. 

Without writing, there is no balance, Janakos said. To write keeps her grounded.

Dauer’s poems appeared in the New England Review and the Bread Loaf Anthology of New American Poets. “The Fragile City,” her first book of poems won the Bluestem Award, an award voted upon by children to recognize their favorite poets. She said she receives a lot of inspiration from people who talk to her and surround her. 

“Circus,” her first read poem, was about her father who passed away. He loved the circus. 

Her message is that people should be empathic and compassionate, and try to see each other’s similarities. It is a privilege to share something personal and authentic with others.

“I write to know I am not alone,” Dauer said.