Poetry Night

POETRY NIGHT

First Wednesday of the Month

7:30 - 9 pm - Free

Each monthly gathering features a special guest poet reading his/her poems with time for discussion. Also, each monthly gathering features "open mike" - - a safe haven for you to read one of your own poems out loud.Come and share in the magic of poetry at Poetry Night. All poets and poetry lovers welcome.

April 2: Katherine Hastings. Katherine Hastings has had poems published in numerous journals and anthologies. Her chapbooks, Sidhe and Wolf Spider were published by dPress; Lonidier Rampant and Bird. Song. Knife. Heart. were published by the Small Change Series. Hastings founded and hosts the WordTemple Poetry Series, bringing well-established poets together with poets who have not yet published a book. She also hosts a radio program, also called WordTemple, on Santa Rosa's NPR affiliate, KRCB 91.1 FM ( for information go to www.wordtemple.com)

May 7: Becky Foust A graduate of Smith College and Stanford Law School, Becky Foust is currently enrolled in Warren Wilson's low residency M.F.A. program. Her publications include Atlanta Review, JAMA, Margie, Nimrod, North American Review, and South Carolina Review. Her full length manuscript was a finalist for Poetry's 2007 Emily Dickinson First Book Award. Her new book, Dark Card, published by Texas Review Press, is her debut collection of poems about a mother's love for her son with Asperger's Syndrome. Her poems travel from his birth through his pre-teen years. Becky's intelligence and courage drive every difficult and brave poem home.

June 4: Connie Post Connie Post is the first and current Poet Laureate of Livermore, California. Her term began in May 2005 and will continue until May 2009. During her term, she created two popular reading series called “Ravenswood” and “Wine and Words”. Many noted poets have featured at these series including: Kay Ryan, Jane Hirshfield, Kim Addonizio, Al Young, Lynne Knight and more. She has also created a youth poetry critique group for teens that meets monthly. In 2006 she created an art/poetry exhibit entitled “Ekphrasis” that brought artists and poetry together in a winery setting.

Connie has been a published poet for over twenty years, and has appeared in many anthologies and journals. Some of these include: Kalliope, Iodine Poetry Journal, White Pelican Review, Monterey Poetry Review, California Quarterly, Carquinez Poetry Review, Mid West Poetry Review, Mobius, Hard Pan, and Song of the San Joaquin. Her work is forthcoming in Main Street Rag and RiverSedge. In 2007 she was a finalist the Murial Craft Bailey Awards for the Comstock Review and she was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

One of her most recent books from October 2005 is titled “Waking State” (Small Poetry Press). The Bay Area Seasonal Review said “The Poems in Connie Post’s Waking State reveal a deep understanding of the perilous balance we all seek to maintain in the landscape of our lives”. Her most recent book “City of Words” is a collection of all of the poems she has written during her term as Poet Laureate. The poems follow the history and growth of the town. In May 2005 she presented her poetry on the nationally syndicated radio program “West Coast Live”. For more information: www.poetrypost.com

July and August summer vacation for Poetry Night at SPC

Sept. 3 - Joan Gelfand An award winning poet, Joan was the recipient of the Chaffin Fiction Award for 2005. Her letters, articles, reviews and poetry have appeared in national magazines including The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair and Poets & Writers. Widely anthologized, Joan’s poetry is published in numerous literary journals, including: Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, Jewish Women’s Literary Annual, Kalliope, PEN/ Oakland, Poetica, and "If Women Ruled the World," an international anthology. "Seeking Center – A Collection of Poetry" was published by Two Bridges Press in 2006. Currently serving as President of the Women’s National Book Association, Joan founded Salon CIEL, an interdisciplinary group of artists. Her weblog may be found at: http://jg.typepad.com/ciel/Joan received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College.

Oct. 1 - Edwin Drummond Born in Britain, offspring of a horse and a dolphin, had head bitten off at an early age, setting life course to find.... Dogged and daring, drawn to hills and mountains, almost died climbing several times, most recently last week. Been writing (stories and poems) for as long as he's been climbing (48 years) Six collections of poems, most recent ENDANGERED SPECIES. Climbing auto-biography: A Dream of White Horses. Keats' Prize winner; National Poetry Award....and other decoys, including first ascent (1973, 10 days, alone) of El Capitan by non-American. Numerous socio-political climbs on public structures, including (Transamerica Pyramid; Grace Cathedral; Statue of Liberty; Nelson's Column, London... For Anti-Apartheid Movement; Amnesty International, and the U.N.). Taught Creative Writing at A.S.U. Father of three: son, and two daughters, the jewels of his balding crown.

Theme of Edwin's reading at Thomson Hall: 'Danger, Desire, and (by special invitation) ... don't miss it.

Nov. 5 - Jeanne Powell and Stephen Koepel

Dec. 3 - Amy Trussell