George Yatchisin

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Holt Review by George Yatchisin Xenobe Purvis can write spooky, but then there are all sorts of haunts, aren’t there? Her debut novel The Hounding, set during the 18th-century in Little Nettlebed …

My latest essay for California Review of Books is Halloween-time appropriate, a spooky tale about sisters in 18th century England who just might turn into dogs.... (Plus, sighthounds on the cover--how could I resist!) calirb.com/the-hounding...

The fact that most media types still live on Elon Musk's fascist-promoting Twitter platform and thus fail to understand just how much of an extremist Kirk was. Post-Musk Twitter is a bubble which showcases and promotes the most extreme voices imaginable which, in turn, gives the media a warped sense of what constitutes normal political and social discourse. It causes them to overreport and underreport a lot of things under the mistaken belief that the online stew in which they marinate is real life and the people who marinate there alongside them are normal and common; Despite Kirk's extremism, a lot of people in journalism and punditry engage in a professional tribalism which causes them to identify with other people who also spend too much time on social media, who do podcasts, and who show up in cable news green rooms alongside them. On some level they saw Kirk as one of their own even though he was, actually, involved in a completely different sort of project than legitimate journalists or pundits are. It's a more extreme version of what I've observed in sports media over the past 20 years or so in which reporters will almost always overlook the faults of a "fellow scribe" because, above everything else, they belong in the same club. It's an object example of failing to understand that we are what we pretend to be; and

Basic fear. The media's reticence to label Kirk an extremist has made it jarringly clear how afraid the media is of the people in power who share Kirk's extremist beliefs. How afraid of they are of drawing the ire of Trump, Vance, Loomer, Libs of TikTok, and the rest. Reporters and commentators are censoring themselves and are otherwise acting obsequiously so they aren't denied access, won't get sued, won't get fired, won't have their employer's broadcast licenses suspended or investigated, and won't have mobs turned on them. At first this might have been done in response to actual criticism, hostility, or active pushback from those in power, but it has quite obviously become an internalized fear that has dissuaded them from speaking criticially, let alone condemning, racism, misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism and the like. This may be the most significant and the most disturbing explanation of such behavior given the implications it has for democracy and free expression.

As I write in my newsletter today, there are several reasons why the media is utterly failing in its coverage of Charlie Kirk. These are the big three, however. www.cupofcoffeenews.com/cup-of-coffe...

I was given the great honor to guest edit the new issue of ANACAPA REVIEW! Check out these terrific poems. anacapareview.com

Ah, the writer’s life. Happy to learn that artistic endeavors were rewarded on St. George’s Day, though.

Same with this

Good thing he does, as the Dems in Congress sure don’t.

It's been a crazy run of acceptances for me lately, so here's another just published poem. Thanks to Jackdaw Review for including "Duplex for the Days of Dusk" in your new issue. www.jackdawpress.com

Podcast One project I’ve begun as Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, 2025-2027, is Poetry Pick to Click, a weekly podcast that originally airs on KCSB-FM (in Summer 2025 somewhere around 6:20 pm on Tuesdays). Each ...

Welcome to my Poet Laureate project Poetry Pick to Click, a weekly podcast that airs on KCSB-FM (in Summer 2025 around 6:20 pm on Tuesdays). Now I have the first 8 segments posted on my website Podcast page. Go and listen up, because we need poetry more than ever. georgeyatchisin.com/podcast/

A few thoughts on Trump nationalize state nat guard in LA talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/break...

Thanks for publishing my poem.

Thanks for sharing! And RIP David Thomas.

From the Pen of Our New Poet Laureate An ode to Santa Barbara from its newly anointed supreme scribe

Pleased the Indy has agreed to publish my installation poem as SB Poet Laureate. They always called city symphony films "poetic," so figured you could just do one as poetry itself. www.independent.com/2025/04/24/f...

George Yatchisin Is Named Santa Barbara’s 11th Poet Laureate Longtime ‘Independent’ contributor joins a “League of Laureates” that includes Melinda Palacio, Emma Trelles, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Enid Osborn, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Chryss Yost, Paul Willis, Davi...

Thanks, Indy--my journalistic home for 30 years now--and Leslie Dinaberg for the sweet story and Ingrid Bostrom for taking photos of me that don't make me feel too bad. It was a day I will cherish. www.independent.com/2025/04/22/g...

There's no creative mind I value more than Brian Eno's, so to get to engage with his thoughts (and those of artist Bette A.'s) reviewing "What Art Does" was a challenge and delight. Here's my latest from California Review of Books. calirb.com/what-art-doe...

Alas, this is a too timely poem, but good to have it in a proper home. Thanks, Moonstone, for including "The Ever Was," in your latest anthology.

Believe it or not, there will be 14+ poetry events happening in Santa Barbara between now and May 2. Collect them all! Win valuable prizes, like a nourished soul! What's more, we are slowly resurrecting the website SB Poetry Net, your one-stop shop for all things poetry. sbpoetry.net

Poetry Connection | Get to know Santa Barbara’s Next Poet Laureate Ten questions with George Yatchisin, Santa Barbara’s next Poet Laureate sounds off.

Hey, Archie and I made the paper! Thanks, Melinda Palacio, for writing your latest Poetry Connection about me. Did I tell Bluesky I'm going to be SB's next Poet Laureate? www.independent.com/2025/03/24/p...

California's got a cool new aperitif--atōst. And I, of course, make a cocktail with it. www.georgeeats.com/2025/03/make...

What a joy and honor to review the new novel by Sameer Pandya at California Review of Books. And if you want to hear Pandya read, he's holding a book event on Saturday, March 22 at 2:30 pm at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. calirb.com/our-beautifu...

WOPN 2025: Old Friends One of the reasons I love going to World of Pinot Noir is that I've gone to WOPN before. Even better, many people I really like go year aft...

I finish up my World of Pinot Noir coverage with Old Friends. Isn't that what we all need--friends and wine? #wopn25 www.georgeeats.com/2025/03/wopn...

Bring Your Appetite to Santa Barbara Burger Week Seven days, 37 burgers for $10. Please eat responsibly.

Once again had the honor to be an eater/writer for the Indy's Burger Week, and what burgers they are. Third Window! Finch & Fork! Read the whole story and get eating for 10 bucks a burger. www.independent.com/2025/03/05/b... #sbindyburgerweek

The County’s Finest One-Off Food Night | Clean Slate’s Just 8 Solvang’s Clean Slate Wine Bar offers intimate pairings from the cellar of Matt Kettmann.

My latest Indy article: "No one who has attended a Just 8 Supper Club at Clean Slate Wine Bar would ever, ever say that they just ate....a kitchen firing at the peak of its creativity, providing an eight-course feast." www.independent.com/2025/03/04/t...

Little Dom's Gets Its Fat Tuesday On You've still got time tonight to get down there, so I wanted to post this quick. As you do want get there. Little Dom's Seafood in Carpint...

Hungry tonight and want to do Mardi Gras right? Get down to Little Dom's Seafood in Carpinteria. #mardigras www.georgeeats.com/2025/03/litt...

Why Not a Pinot Party? Twenty-five years is as fine a reason for celebration as any, so that's certainly what happened at Thursday, February 27th's Opening Night P...

Here's a write-up of the Opening Night Party for World of Pinot Noir. I will go light on wine in this one, as the Grand Tasting stories will cover that, promise. #wopn25 www.georgeeats.com/2025/03/why-...

Nobody’s Empire by Stuart Murdoch Harper Via Review by George Yatchisin It would be easy to spend a ton of time teasing out where writer/musician Stuart Murdoch ends from where the main character of his debut novel Nobody’s Empire…

My latest for CALIRB, about creativity and friendship and just hanging in there, so a balm in our horrible time. Read it while listening to some Belle & Sebastian, of course. calirb.com/nobodys-empi...

Whiskey Business at Finch & Fork Nothing could serve as a better rejoinder to the anti-DEI madness coming out of Washington than this Sunday's Chef's Table event at Santa Ba...

Bourbon (and some beloved rye) and BBQ and a lovely evening at Finch & Fork. Plus drinking to support #DEI www.georgeeats.com/2025/02/whis...

Getting the Most Out of Going Grand at WOPN Assuming the country isn't fully closed for business in a week (at the rate our fiends in DC are going, it's possible), we get to celebrate ...

If you're going to enter a ballroom with approximately 250 bottles of wine open and you have two-and-a-half hours, how do you not choose the door with the tiger? I can help. It's almost time for World of Pinot Noir. #wopn25 www.georgeeats.com/2025/02/gett...

99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life by Adam Chandler Pantheon Review by George Yatchisin A few weeks into the oligarchical hell of “Trump II: This Time We Leave the Country Stripped on Blocks,” Adam Chandler’s 99% Perspiration: A New Working H...

Just in case you forgot, the country was pretty messed up even before Muskocracy.... My latest for CALIRB is a review of Adam Chandler's "99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life." calirb.com/99-perspirat...

The Glories of Another Garagiste In our current age--that is these terrifying last few weeks of Muskocracy--it's especially good to remember the wonder of a world writ small...

At least as our country falls apart we've got lots of good wine to drink! Here's a glimpse of what the Garagiste Festival offered Friday night. www.georgeeats.com/2025/02/the-...