This Stretch of the Imagination
More Poetry Gifts
As the days steam up and reach towards the solstice, I can almost imagine there are more hours in each day, and they seem to continue to be filled with a community of poets, poetry, new books and new events. If you, like me, attended the launch for the book When a Woman Tells the Truth: Writings and Creative Work by Women Over 80, you were reminded that our world needs a diversity of stories and poems and that communities are lifted when these stories are told. I’m told this event attracted over 300 attendees, breaking Bookshop Santa Cruz records. Women with humor, precision and storytelling expertise read poems and prose about the worlds each of them inhabits. I know I wasn’t alone in feeling stunned by how necessary it felt to hear voices which don’t usually get foregrounded. (I’ll admit I was biased from the outset because my mother has a poem in the book, but I talked to enough people who agree). A professionally-produced video of the event is now available, linked here and at the end of this issue. I guarantee it is worth dipping in. There is hilarity and wisdom throughout!
And now more poetry events.
Events
Tonight! Tuesday June 18, 7pm. Inter|Act Spoken Word Open Mic: Featured Poet AE Hines from Charlotte, NC. Satori Arts, 815 Almar Ave, Unit 9, Santa Cruz).
AE Hines is the author of Adam in the Garden (Charlotte Lit Press, 2024) and Any Dumb Animal (Main Street Rag, 2021). The evening kicks off at 7 (sign up sheet will be available starting at 6:30, or sign up online). Open mic before and after the feature.
Save the date for July 2: Inter|Act Spoken Word Open Mic Featured poet Kirk Glaser
Thursday June 20, 7pm. Writers of Color SCC at Barrios Unidos Spoken Word. 1817 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. Featured Poets Bob Gomez (Watsonville Poet Laureate), Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour and Ruben Sanchez. Open mic to follow. “A collaboration for multicultural social justice and nonviolent actions for peace through the spoken word.”
Saturday June 29 12-3pm. Poetry and Music in the Garden. “Surrounded by redwood groves and fruit trees, birds and roses, Poets Laureate and youth poets will read from their work at the 30th anniversary of Poetry and Music in the Chadwick Garden. This year’s lineup features Santa Cruz County’s first Poet Laureate Gary Young and current Laureate Farnaz Fatemi, and El Dorado County Poet Laureate Stephen Meadows. We also welcome newcomers to this event, Madeline Aliah and Sylvi Kayser, two of our Youth Poet Laureate finalist cohort.” Plus, enjoy live music by Keith Greeninger. Chadwick Garden at UCSC, Free parking above garden or below at Cowell & Stevenson parking.
Write with Others
Thursday June 27th, 3-5pm. Magdalena Montagne offers "Poetry as Practice" at the Garfield Park Library. The workshop is free but pre-registration is required at this link. From Magdalena: “In this workshop we’ll remember the reasons why we write! Some of mine include healing, making sense out of daily life, remembering who I am, having fun with language, stimulating my brain. We’ll examine rituals that can help us maintain a practice that is good for us in so many ways, and we’ll commit to better awareness that will help us develop and sustain a rich writing life.”
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 - 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. A writing session facilitated by Boulder Creek resident, Halidgka (Hali) Reiskin. Sponsored by the SF Mechanics Institute, Writers’ Craft Collaborative is “an inclusive creative working space to explore elements and design of powerful storytelling, share resources, and develop individual in-progress works with other passionate writers. Warm and welcoming, join our collaborative and let's see what TOGETHER we can do!” Email nchen@milibrary.org to sign up.
Submission Opportunity
Porter Gulch Review seeks submissions of poetry, prose and visual art. Deadline August 1. See graphic below for more info, or email pgrsubmissions@gmail.com.
Bonus Content: When a Woman Tells the Truth
Click screenshot above to view full video of event from June 4, 2024 at Bookshop Santa Cruz.