Monterey County Poet Laureate 2022-2023
DANIEL B. SUMMERHILL
Poet | Professor | Performer
Daniel B. Summerhill is a Poet, Professor and Performer. He is an assistant professor of poetry/social action and composition studies at California State University Monterey Bay. Daniel has performed in over thirty states, the UK, and was invited by the US Embassy to guest lecture and perform in South Africa. He earned a Sharon Olds fellowship as well as a fellowship from the Watering Hole. His work has appeared in Columbia Journal, Rust & Moth, Button Poetry, Anti-Heroin Chic, The Hellebore, and elsewhere. His work has earned him two Pushcart nominations as well as a best of the net nomination. His debut collection Divine, Divine, Divine is available now from Oakland- based Nomadic Press. His sophomore collection, Mausoleum of Flowers will be published by Cavankerry Press in April 2022. Summerhill holds an MFA in creative writing from Pine Manor College in Boston, MA.
2022-2023 Poet Laureate Accomplishments: Daniel Summerhill
As Monterey County Poet Laureate, Daniel Summerhill conducted poetry workshops in various high schools, including Carmel HS, Rancho San Juan HS, Pacific Grove HS, Everett Alvarez HS, Soledad HS, Monterey HS, and Seaside HS. He personally arranged for schools to receive his published books to enrich their literary resources. Additionally, Daniel engaged with young minds at the Monterey County Office of Education, discussing the power of poetry and slam as expressive mediums.
Public readings were a highlight, with appearances at diverse venues such as SandBox Sand City with Poets of The Ranch/Rancho San Juan High School students, joint readings with Youth Poet Laureate Mahi Shah, and events at Pacific Grove Library, Monterey Poetry Festival, Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey Library, Greenfield Cultural Arts Center, Downtown Books and Sound in Salinas, among others.
To foster a sense of community, Daniel initiated the “First Mondays” open mic at The H.E.M. Nutrition in Seaside. Collaborating with Monterey County Free Libraries, he organized three inclusive poetry workshops in Marina, Soledad, and Salinas. His commitment to amplifying community voices extended to publishing “Our Grapes of Wrath: The Black History of Monterey County” through Boukra Press (Old Capitol Books).
Daniel participated in our annual Poetry Out Loud program as a Performance Coach and hosted the regional competition.
The pinnacle of the Poet Laureate journey was spearheading and naming the Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate, Mahi Shah, which was a testament to Daniel’s dedication to poetry and its transformative impact on diverse communities in Monterey County.