Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Poetry Show of July 22, 2012 pays tribute to poet Jeff Tagami, who passed away on June 23 at the age of 57. Host Dennis Morton is joined by Jeff’s wife Shirley Ancheta, along with fellow poets and friends , and to celebrate the life and poetry of Jeff Tagami.
Tagami was born July 4, 1954, in Watsonville, to parents of Philippine origin who emigrated to California via Hawaii. He later became an instructor at Cabrillo College, where he most recently taught writing, composition and literature.
He leaves behind one published volume of his poetry, October Light, now . Readings for the Poetry Show retrospective are selected from this book, in addition to several unpublished poems. Tribute articles can be found in the , and .
In 1995, Jeff Tagami participated in a PBS documentary titled The United States of Poetry. His poem “” was featured in an episode called The Land and the People.
