32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 19-25, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com LIT John Dotson wears many hats. One of them is that of a poet of Point Lobos. It’s not an official role. Nor is he the first. Carmel Bohemian-in-Chief George Sterling wrote his “An Altar of The West” in 1911, and Jeanne D’Orge—Mrs. Carl Cherry—devoted an entire chapter to Point Lobos in 1928. Then we naturally have local titan Robinson Jeffers, one of Dotson’s great interests, next to Dylan Thomas. The place has also attracted a still-growing cycle of contemporary poets. “About 50,” Dotson says when asked about how many poems he’s devoted to Point Lobos. It’s a fitting number. Dotson has been in the area for 50 years, so that’s one poem every year. He doesn’t remember the first one written, but “Blue Fish Cove” is one of the early important poems (not included in his 2008 volume Rivulets of Light: Poems of Point Lobos and Carmel Bay). “I go to Point Lobos to make a connection with larger forces,” he says, calling it the sacred, the timeless place. Despite so many tourists and a parking dilemma, there are still serene spots that look untouched. Dotson is not only a poet, but also a nonfiction writer, a radio persona, a community organizer and sculptor. Five of his pieces are currently exhibited in Pacific Grove Art Center, next to, and in dialogue with, paintings by Elizabeth Wrightman. The show, What Did The Thunder Say?, is viewable until Oct. 24. It expresses “the reality of soul,” the artist says—built from wood, but also metal and found objects. But for meditation and contemplation, Dotson always comes back to Point Lobos. “Mammoth clouds move stealthily southward toward Big Sur,” he wrote in his 1975 poem “Solitude.” From Whalers Cabin not far from Cabin Trail, he wrote 2008’s “Invisibly you.” “Invisibly you /Sing the world little goldfinch /Morning’s strong surprise.” His poetry is sparse, occasionally contained in a haiku form, describing a physical experience of Point Lobos, tourists encountered on the way, and an homage to the Esselen and Rumsen people who lived here. For Dotson, not only do their voices seem to be still in the air, but also the reverberations of George Sterling’s drunken picnics in the 1920s. “To visit Point Lobos is to become a poet,” wrote Deborah Streeter in a 2003 collection of poems about the place, titled Dancing On The Brink of The World. And Dotson, among other talents, is a poet. NIC COURY Point Made Poet John Dotson joins many others in finding inspiration from a local landmark, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. By Agata Pop˛eda Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a mecca for poets, including contemporary poets such as Robert Bly, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts and John Dotson. MONTEREY COUNTY FAIR & EVENT CENTER 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM FESTIVAL AND TICKET INFO: montereybeerfestival.com email: heritage@montereycountyfair.com PRESENTS 80 MAIN FESTIVAL TICKETS CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF GREAT BEER VIP Tasting begins at 11:30 AM | For GA, gate opens at 12:30 PM $25.00 Designated Driver $65.00 GA in advance $70.00 GA at the gate $80.00 VIP in advance $85.00 VIP at the gate FRESH. LOCAL. TASTY. Fisherman’s Wharf FRESHEST SEAFOOD with PANORAMIC VIEWS Open Daily at 11:30am • At the end of Fisherman’s Wharf #1 www.rockfishmonterey.com • 831.324.4375
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