In collaboration with AARP California, Ventura County Arts Council, Ojai Valley Museum and the Gables of Ojai, the Ojai Senior Poetry Competition officially concluded on June 21st, 2023. Sunset Poetry, an initiative spearheaded by junior Gary Liu from The Thacher School, launched this senior-exclusive(55+) competition aimed at celebrating the individuality of Ojai seniors through poetry. As senior isolation issues become more concerning, Sunset Poetry believes that sharing literature inspires a collaborative process of community bonding, which brings therapeutic impacts on Ojai senior communities. Hosted at the Gables of Ojai, the poetry reading commemorated the eight winning poets representing the vitality and vibrancy of Ojai seniors, their genuine interest in literature, and their unhesitatingly authentic voices that are often underrepresented in our world today. The competition's judge, Bruce Smith, Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and National Book Award, cited that the entries received from Ojai Seniors were an “exceptionally strong and vibrant group of poems that were compelling and attentive to language and the inner and outer worlds”. The winning poems were published by AARP California and Ojai Valley Museum websites, and they will be featured by the Ventura County Arts Council soon. Gary Liu, founder of Sunset Poetry, said, “The intention for organizing the Ojai Senior Poetry Competition is to provide seniors with the opportunity to reflect on personal moments that empower both themselves and the younger generation.” For Sunset Poetry, introducing a cross-generational alliance based uniquely on the interchange of literature is an effective and powerful strategy to impede the growth of social isolation. Please see some news coverages about this event.