Hello everyone,
I was a little quiet online at the end of the summer as I was busy planning for some exciting fall poetry events. The information on these events is below. There is more to come before the fall is over, but for now take a look at the current lineup! If you’d like more info as events unfold, please follow me on twitter: @PoetLaureateSCC or like the SCC Poet Laureate Facebook page: facebook.com/poetlaureatescc
Friday, Sept. 5
– Street Market Arts Festival
7-11pm
South First Street between San Carlos and Reed, downtown San Jose
Free admission
southfirstfridays.com
I will be hosting main stage at the First Friday Street Market festival. In addition, I’ll be running my booth “The Poetry Site” where poets compose custom verse for festival goers!
Friday, Sept. 19
– Poetry Booth at The Commons
6-9pm
St. James Park (1st and St. James, downtown San Jose)
Free admission
Visit The Commons Facebook event page!
The Commons brings contemporary music with classical instrumentation to the masses. I will emcee the event, which features incredible musical talent from all over the South Bay Area. My poetry booth will also be present at this event. Featured musicians include the Awesöme Orchestra Collective, Rachel Larsen, Dirty Cello, Narrators, Classical Revolution, violinist Ishtar Hernandez and pianist Naomi Stine. Special thanks to Poetry Center San Jose for Co-sponsoring this event. Learn more about PCSJ at poetrycentersanjose.org
Saturday, Sept. 20
– Poetry at Ann & Mark’s Art Party
7pm to midnight
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (344 Tully Rd., San Jose, CA 95111)
$39 General Admission
artpartysj.com
Ann and Mark’s Art Party will include a poetry lounge where I plan on sharing the stage with a number of poets. In addition, the poetry booth will make yet another appearance. I was drawn to this event ever since I heard its description as an “occasional and irrational San Jose arts fest.” According to their website, it’s been described as “Mad Max meets Moulin Rouge” and “Burning Man meets Venice Biennale.” Some say, it’s better than… anything they’ve ever experienced. Special thanks to Poetry Center San Jose for Co-sponsoring this event. Learn more about PCSJ at poetrycentersanjose.org
Thursday, Oct. 2 to Feb. 22
– San Jose Museum of Art Exhibit “Momentum”
110 South Market Street,
San Jose, CA 95113
$8 adult admission. Free for members.
sjmusart.org/momentum
The San Jose Museum of Art has invited nine artists, myself included, to create artwork that responds to pieces in its permanent collection. My contribution is a a series of “moving poems.” In these pieces, words move on a number of screens, each showing the evolution of a poem. The work is a response to the video installation “Home Movies 300-3” by Jim Campbell. Click here to see a sample of Campbell’s work. Special thanks to Poetry Center San Jose for Co-sponsoring this event. Learn more about PCSJ at poetrycentersanjose.org
Tuesday, Oct. 14 – Well-RED Reading Series
7-9pm
Works Gallery (365 South Market St., San Jose, CA)
$2 suggested donation, no one turned away
workssanjose.org/wordpress
facebook.com/workssanjose
pcsj.org
I’m proud to be one of the featured readers at Well-RED, sponsored by Poetry Center San Jose. I’m also proud to be sharing the stage with my partner, and wonderful poet, Jennifer Gigantino. The last time we performed together was about five years ago. A lot has changed with my work since then. As for her latest work. . . she doesn’t show it to me, so it’ll be as surprising for me as it is for you.
Youth Poetry Workshops at Carolyn Clarke Elementary School
futureartsnow.org
I have partnered with FutureArtsNow! — a youth arts education organization — to provide a series of poetry workshops in South Bay Area elementary and middle schools. This October, I will visit Carolyn Clarke Elementary, where I will introduce over 60 fifth-graders to the process of poetry composition. By the end, they’ll all have written a few poems of their own. I hope to share some of their work with the public at some point. More information on this in a future blog post.
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Blog 