A Lot of Poetry, A Little Space Travel

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE? Santa Barbara County resident Paul Kirsch has an idea about interstellar travel, and on Saturday, May 30, at the Los Olivos Grange Hall (2374 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos), he’ll explain it. In conjunction with the release of his book, This Way to the Stars: How Quantum Physics Changes Current Space Propulsion Paradigms, Making Inter-Galactic Travel a Possibility, Kirsch will discuss the principles behind his theory, which is said to involve using electrons to “tunnel” through hyperspace between one location and another. He’ll also talk about the materials required to make it a reality, and the foundational knowledge and experimentation upon which it’s built. Far out. Kirsch’s free lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. For details, visit thiswaytothestars.org.

BOUNCING BACK: The limits of consciousness continue to expand, thanks in part to SBCC Continuing Education’s Mind and Supermind lecture series. On Monday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m., the series brings psychologist Joan Borysenko to the Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St.). Her talk, titled Saying Yes to Change: Following the Wisdom of the Heart, covers Borysenko’s explorations into the phenomenon of resilience: why some of us seem to possess a nearly infinite amount of it, why others of us wish we did, and how we can cultivate more of it. According to her analysis, what with the ever-increasing speed and volume of change in the world, coping and adapting is going to take all the resilience a citizen of the 21st century can muster. Call 963-0761 or visit lobero.com for more information.

POETRY IN SCIENCE AND NATURE: We’re looking ahead to two unusually poetry-rich weeks in and around Santa Barbara. In an unexpected but promising union, poets will join forces with scientists from UCSB’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis to create The Poetry of Science, a project culminating in a truly interdisciplinary reading at SBCC’s Fe Bland Forum on Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m. Nine scientists will accessibly present their research, which would already be interesting, but then comes the twist: nine well-known Santa Barbara poets will also read original pieces based on conversations with those scientists. These wordsmith-researcher pairings include Barry Spacks with Sadie Ryan, Perie Longo with Ben Halpern, and David Starkey with Jai Ranganathan. Contact Margaret Connors at connors@nceas.ucsb.edu or David Starkey at starkeyd@sbcc.edu for more information.

On Sunday, June 7, at 3 p.m., the nature-loving Wildling Art Museum (2928 San Marcos Ave., Los Olivos) presents its sixth annual poetry reading, an afternoon filled not only with spoken verse but with music as well. Appearances by Santa Barbara County poets Paul Fericano, Dan Gerber, Richard Jarrette, and Ellen Kelley will be preceded by a concert by flutist Melanie Lancon and followed by a wine and cheese reception. For details, call 688-1082 or visit wildlingmuseum.org.

AUTHORS AT CHAUCER’S: Chaucer’s Books (3321 State St.) has two upcoming (and quite different) signings scheduled, one with poet Sojourner Kincaid Rolle and the other with children’s author Valerie Hobbs. Rolle’s signing, which happens on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m., celebrates the release of her new book, Black Street: Poems. In addition to her poetic duties, Rolle is also a playwright and the community outreach coordinator at UCSB’s Center for Black Studies Research. Hobbs, a Chaucer’s children’s department favorite, is most recently the author of Sheep. The tale of an itinerant border collie forced into a host of different roles after the sheep ranch on which he grew up burns down, Sheep happens also to be the winner of this year’s California Young Reader Medal. Hobbs will be at Chaucer’s on Tuesday, June 2, at 7 p.m. Call 682-6787 or visit chaucersbooks.com for more information on either signing.