Poetry Santa Cruz

Below is our comprehensive list of poetry events in and around Santa Cruz. We are happy to list any poetry events in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. You may notify us via email. We also list selected events in Santa Clara County. You may also subscribe to the Poetry Santa Cruz Events Email by request via email. We only send out this email for events presented or co-sponsored by or which are benefits for Poetry Santa Cruz. We typically send one email for each of our events, about two or three per month. We do not send emails for other organizations or individuals. We do not sell or lend our distribution list to other organizations or individuals.

Readers in our Tuesday series are often interviewed and read more of their poetry on The Poetry Show on KUSP 88.9 FM, Sundays 9:00 to 10:00 pm. (webcast and podcast archives available.)

For a poetry calendar covering the Greater Bay Area, consult the Poetry Flash calendar and open reading listings.
For a calendar of arts events in Santa Cruz County supported by grants from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County, see the Cultural Council Events Calendar.

CURRENT POETRY SANTA CRUZ EVENTS

Tuesday, June 12
7:30 PM Favorite Poem Project Reading.
Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road, Corralitos, CA 95076.
[ map ] [ Read more about this event ]
$3 donation suggested. Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.

Sunday, June 17
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, 3-to-5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free. Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.

For future events see the Looking Ahead listing.
These events are supported, in part, by a grant from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. Some events are supported by matching grants to our readers from Poets & Writers, Inc. Poetry Santa Cruz is also grateful for the support of its members and donors, In Celebration of the Muse, and those who donated in memory of Maude Meehan and Kathleen Flowers. The William James Association acted as our fiscal sponsor for our first four years. Our readings are supported by Bookshop Santa Cruz, Capitola Book Café, The Attic, Casablanca Inn, The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, Cabrillo College, KUSP and the National Writers Union Chapter 7. Membership premiums have been donated by Graywolf Press, the University of Pittsburgh Press, Robert Sward, Coffee House Press, Copper Canyon Press, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux. A voluntary donation of $3 may be requested at venues where collection of donations is permitted.

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OTHER POETRY EVENTS DURING THE NEXT MONTH (See also Weekly Events, below)

Th 5/3 9:30 AM, Tu 5/8 8:30 PM
We 5/9 11:30 AM, Tu 5/15 10:00 AM
Tu 5/15 8:30 PM, Mo 5/21 11:30 AM
Tu 5/22 8:30 PM, Su 5/27 10:30 AM
Tu 5/29 8:30 PM Poetry Box, a half-hour TV poetry show on Community Television of Santa Cruz County, on Comcast cable channel 27 and Charter (Watsonville) channel 73. James Scully reading at Capitola Book Café 1/12/2010. Producer: Joanna Martin. Co-sponsored by Poetry Santa Cruz.

Every Wednesday
Wed., May 23, 30
7:30 PM Signup, 8:00 Show The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, May 22
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Taelen Thomas, and Daniel Yaryan. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Thursday, May 24
6:00–7:45 PM UCSC Living Writers Series presents Justin Chin.
Humanities Lecture Hall, UCSC. Free and open to the public.

Friday, May 25
7:00 PM A Profile Performance by Santa Cruz County 2012 Artist of the Year Gary Young.
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, May 26
2:00–4:00 PM The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Richard Sullivan. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.

Saturday, May 26
6:00–8:00 PM Porter Gulch Review Reading and Art Show. Live music, refreshments and FREE copies of the 27th edition of Porter Gulch Review will be provided.
Cabrillo College Horticulture Center, top of the campus, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.

Friday, June 1
6:00 PM Reading of the Spring 2012 issue of phren-Z. Readers include: Buzz Anderson, Amber Coverdale Sumrall, Vinnie Hansen, Neal Hellman, Stephen Kessler, Paula Mahoney, Wilma Marcus Chandler, and Elizabeth McKenzie.
Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola.

First Saturday of the month
Saturday, June 2
2:30–5:00 PM Lost Poets Salon Open Reading and Discussion. The Bagelry, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 95060. 420-0211.

Thursday, June 7
6:00–7:45 PM UCSC Living Writers Series presents the Student Reading.
Humanities Lecture Hall, UCSC. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, June 9
8:00 PM Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale performs its Silver Anniversary Concert, presenting Mass in Blue by Will Todd along with favorite gospel and folk tunes and featuring the World Premiere of a piece commissioned by Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale and written by Will Todd and for this event, setting to music three poems by former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Nils Peterson based on anonymous ancient Greek lyric poems.
California Theatre, 345 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. $24.

3rd Thursday of each month
Thursday, June 21
7:00 PM Poetry Reading @ Willow Glen Library with featured reader Len Anderson, open reading to follow. Note: If you read and wish your poem to be posted in the Willow Glen Poetry Project Blog, bring a hard copy of your poem and email it to willowglenpoetry@gmail.com. Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose. Free. Sponsored by Poetry Center San Jose.

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ONGOING EVENTS AND LISTINGS IN THE MEDIA

Every day
9:01 AM and 8:01 PM The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor on KAZU 90.3 FM.

Every Sunday
9:00 to 10:00 PM The Poetry Show on KUSP 88.9 FM. Hosted by Dennis Morton, Susan Freeman and Lesley-Anne Taylor. Live interviews, poems read by the host, taped readings or interviews. Archived shows are podcast for listening from the website. See also The Poetry Show Blog.

Various weekdays Capitola Book Café hosts many author events, with local and visiting authors. Visit their website at http://www.capitolabookcafe.com/ for an up-to-date schedule.

Various Check the literary events page for Monterey County.

Every Wednesday
8:00 to 9:00 PM Out Of Our Minds on KKUP 91.5 FM. Hosted by J.P. Dancing Bear. Live interviews, poems read by the host, taped readings or interviews.

Every Wednesday
3:00 to 3:30 PM Cover to Cover on KPFA 94.1 FM. Hosted by Jack Foley.

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WORKSHOPS

Sally Ashton Sally Ashton, MFA, is a Bay Area poet, teacher, editor of the DMQ Review, an online journal featuring poetry and art, and current Santa Clara County Poet Laureate. She is the author of a collection, These Metallic Days, and her prose poem collection, Her Name is Juanita, was recently released from Kore Press. Ashton is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship, Poetry, from Arts Council Silicon Valley. She offers writing workshops in Santa Clara County.

Ellen Bass Ellen Bass offers the following writing workshops. See Ellen’s website for more details and recent updates.
• Ongoing Weekly groups in Santa Cruz: Writing For Our Lives.
• Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm (all genres, emphasis on poetry)
• Thursdays 3:00-6:00 pm (all genres emphasis on fiction and memoir)
In addition, she offers the following writing retreats:
• March 30–April 1, 2012: The Writing Life with Ellen Bass at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005.
• May 29–June 3, 2011: Truth & Beauty: A Poetry Workshop with Marie Howe, Dorianne Laux, & Ellen Bass at Carter Hall in Millwood, Virginia.
If you want to craft poems that reflect the inextricable marriage of truth and beauty, love and death, the luminous and the ordinary, please join us for this special workshop. We will elude and distract the censors that silence or limit us. We’ll question the stories we think are true and experience the power of not-knowing and discovery.
For more information, please email Ellen or call 831-426-8006.
• July 22–27, 2012: Writing and Knowing: A Poetry Workshop with Ellen Bass, Dorianne Laux, and Joseph Millar at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information, you may see Ellen’s website page and email Ellen. To register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005

Patria Brown The Way of the Spiral with Patria Brown: In the fast-paced world of the twenty-first century, there is little allowance of time for artistic pursuit or reflection. Patria’s approach to poetry and the creative arts opens the deep spiral path to inner knowing and joyful and lively manifestation.
Weekly writing and poetry sessions meet at 320 River Street in Santa Cruz.
Ongoing sessions are limited to eight participants and are offered first-come, first-serve. Initial session is free. Suggested donation thereafter is $20.
Reserve your place now by calling 831-425-5332 or emailing patria@outinthewoods.com.
Bring a notebook, a pen, and an open heart. Be prepared to change your life!
Saturday Mornings With the Muse
Meets most Saturday mornings from 10 to 12.
Together we shall write and read based on collaboratively chosen pieces of poetry.
Women and Poetry
Meets Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Together we study and write women's poetry.
Women read, study, and write poetry in community.
Mothers and Poetry
Meets Saturdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm
Mothers of growing children often feel there is never a moment for intellectual or creative pursuit.
We read short pieces (not more than one hour per week), come together, discuss, and write in community about issues surrounding the experience of mothering in all its facets.
Patria Brown also teaches Soul Collage, leads a Thursday Morning Crones group and is working on other projects. Contact her if you are interested at 831-425-5332 or email patria@outinthewoods.com

Cabrillo College English 12B (Creative Writing: Poetry) and 14B (Advanced Poetry Workshop) See the Schedule of classes for the current offering.
Fall 2012: English 12B Creative Writing: Poetry (Section 74634) and English 14B Advanced Poetry Workshop (Section 74627), taught by Jim Maughn will be held simultaneously Thursdays 6:00 to 9:05 PM, Room 406, 3 units.

Capitola Book Café Capitola Book Café offers workshops for writers of fiction, poetry and more. For details, see the Events page on their website: www.capitolabookcafe.com.

Andy Couturier, The Opening The Opening is a place for writing that emphasizes the intuitive mind of the writer. By prioritizing play and open-ended exploration, and by using innovative techniques to access our innate human capacities for improvisation, we find ourselves coming upon the unexpected in ourselves — and in the world. When we combine these techniques with new ways to develop the sensitivity of our perception, both the writer and the writing grow naturally, of their own accord. Classes offered in Santa Cruz and Oakland. See Andy Couturier’s bio. Sign up for the Mailing List on the website. Telephone 831-728-9983 or 510-594-1905.
• Book Completion Group:
   - Thursday nights 6-10 pm, starting May 31 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $475,
     $195 deposit.
   - Monday nights 6-10 pm, starting July 9 in Oakland
   - Tuesday afts. 11:30-3:30, starting July 3 14 in Oakland
• Life Story / Creative Nonfiction:
   - Wednesday nights 6-9 pm, starting May 9 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $390,
     $195 deposit (no class meeting March 14).
   - Tuesday nights 7-10 pm, starting May 22 in Oakland
     Registration required to hold your place. Register online or by mail with the
     deposit to: The Opening, PO Box 881, Santa Cruz, CA, 95061
     but send an email first to hold your place. Note: No class 10/27.
     Call 831-728-9983 for more info, or to ask about the installment payment plan.
Laura Davis Laura Davis offers a variety of writing workshops. See the Laura Davis website for details and for more classes and retreats.
• Ongoing Writing Practice Classes:
   - Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
   - Wednesday mornings, 10 am to 1 pm, women only
Special Introductory Rate for New Students: $150 for 4 Weeks of Writing Practice Class. More info: (831) 464-9517
• Ongoing Feedback Classes:
   - Thursday evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 pm
   - Friday mornings, 9 am to 12 noon

Esalen Institute The following poetry workshops are offered at Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920, (831) 667-3005, info@esalen.org.
• December 2-4, 2011: The Writing Life with Ellen Bass at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005.
• July 22-27, 2012: Writing and Knowing: A Poetry Workshop with Ellen Bass, Dorianne Laux, and Joseph Millar at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information, you may see Ellen’s website page and email Ellen. To register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005

Carolyn Brigit Flynn Carolyn offers regular writing groups, called Writing to Feed the Soul. Carolyn’s teaching themes include an imaginative mix of poetry and prose, evoking dreams, the elements, ancestors, the earth and nature, animals, spirit guides, sacred geometry, tarot and myth—all with the intention to allow archetypal and mythic themes to provide seed and sacred ground for new and enlivened writing. Writers often find that a new voice emerges, and that their work goes deeper, exploring vital themes and profound hidden stories.
• Bi-Monthly Groups meet twice a month, the first two weeks of the month (except for October, when they will meet the last two weeks).
During teaching weeks, there will be three writing groups meeting regularly:
   - Tuesday, 2:00-5:30 pm
   - Wednesday, 6:00-9:30 pm
   - Thursday, 2:00-5:30 pm
• Monthly Group. One group meets monthly the second Saturday of the month (except for October, when they will meet on Oct 24)
More information at her website www.carolynbrigitflynn.com
For questions or to sign up, please email carolynflynn@cruzio.com

Joyce Keller Creative Writing for Fun. Louden Nelson classes for Downtown Seniors. Learn how to make creative writing easy and enjoyable in the friendly and supportive class. Stories, poetry, journalism, memoirs. Suggested donation: $4 for Santa Cruz city residents, $4.25 non-city residents. Taught by Joyce Keller, M.S. Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. Mondays 1:00 to 2:30 pm.

Danusha Laméris Danusha Laméris offers Poetry and Essay/Memoir classes in Santa Cruz.
Danusha Laméris’s work has been published in Lyric, Poetry Northwest, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun and The Crab Orchard Review as well as in a variety of other journals. Her poems have also appeared in the anthologies In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare, A Bird as Black as the Sun: California Poets on Crows and Ravens, and Intimate Kisses. Last year she was a finalist for the 2010 New Letters Prize in poetry.
Danusha offers a series of classes for poets and personal essay/memoir writers. These groups are a safe container in which to share writing and to give and receive constructive feedback. Whether you are published, have been at it for years, or are brand-new at attempting the craft, these classes offer a structure that nurtures your work.
   - Poetry: Tuesdays, 3:00 to 6:00 pm, beginning January 10
   - Mixed Genre: Thursdays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, beginning January 12
Cost: 6 weeks $240
Contact: e-mail lameris@yahoo.com or call (831) 239-4277 to reserve your space.
12 person maximum per class.
Magdalena Montagne The Community Poetry Circle will take place monthly in three library branches through June:
On the 1st Saturday, 10 am to 12 noon at the Santa Cruz Central Branch Library.
On the 2nd Saturday, 1 to 3 pm at the Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Drive.
On the 3rd Saturday, 2 to 4 pm at the Scotts Valley Branch Library, 230-D Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley.
APRIL POETRY READING on Saturday, April 28, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the SC Central Branch Library (upstairs community meeting room) for National Poetry Month. If you have written a poem in the circle, you are invited to read. Contact Magdalena for more information at magdarose@hughes.net.
For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776,
e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net,
or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/
Muse Poetry Writing Group at Capitola Book Café, 7-9 pm, May 18 and June 8. With over ten years experience leading poetry writing groups, Magdalena Montagne can help you bring out the poet within. Join this drop-in group for a fun and creative evening of poetry writing and discussion. All levels and ages are encouraged.
Cost: $5 to Capitola Book Café and $5 to Magdalena to participate, please.
For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776,
e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net,
or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/
Mixed Media—Poetry and Collage: Finding the Inner Story. At the Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz.
Offered Saturday, March 31, from 10:00 am–1:00 pm. $35/25.
In this class, participants will use the concepts of found poetry and collage to create original works of art and connect more deeply with their poet’s voice. The class will include instruction in writing and editing techniques as well as hands-on cut-and-paste collage art. All levels of poets and artists encouraged.
Taught by Magdalena Montagne. Contact instructor at magdarose@hughes.net or 831-252-5776 prior to class to receive information about materials to bring.
Writing the Memoir at the Watsonville Community Hospital, 75 Nielson Street, Watsonville, CA 95076-2468, as part of Senior Circle classes, for those fifty years of age and better. Four classes: March 6, April 3, May 1, June 5, 2012, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Cost is $5.00 per session. Attend one or all of these Tuesday afternoon classes.
For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776,
e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net,
or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/

Monterey Bay Writers Studio Monterey Bay Writers Studio offers classes in Santa Cruz for writers of all genre as well as classes specifically for fiction and creative nonfiction. For details, see the website: www.montereybaywriters.com.

Poetry Center San Jose Poets @ Play. Have you ever wanted a quiet place to write? Or an informal gathering for collaborating with fellow poets about works in progress? That’s what Poets@Play is all about. We alternate between writing and sharing our works in progress. This is not a workshop, but rather a playhouse—some starter ideas and a comfortable place to play with words. Registration is encouraged, but not required, at poetsatplay@pcsj.org (we can also provide you with information on how to avoid a parking fee). Saturday, June 12, 10 AM to 4 PM at the Edwin Markham House, History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose, California 95112. www.pcsj.org.

Sarah Rabkin Sarah Rabkin teaches writing, nature writing, nature journals and nature sketching in various settings.
• High Country Writing Retreat taught by Sarah Rabkin at the San Francisco State University Sierra Nevada Field Campus, North Yuba River, 35400 Highway 49, Sattley, CA. July 15-20, 2012, Sunday-Friday. Contact: jrblair @ sfsu.edu
Take inspiration from the Sierra's spiced air and rushing waters. Explore the Lakes Basin, Sierra Buttes, Yuba River, & Sierra Valley. Group sessions provide guidance and prompts as well as time to write and share work without judgment. Unstructured periods allow for individual writing, wandering, and optional one-on-one instructor conferences. Bring a writing project in progress, an empty notebook ready to be filled, or both. For new and experienced writers
• Writing at the Edge taught by Sarah Rabkin at the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, 56605 Sitka Drive, Otis, OR 97368. Monday, August 20 to Tuesday, August 21, 2011. Contact: info@sitkacenter.org
At the lip of a continent or the limits of propriety, edges are jumping-off places�unsettling and exhilarating. On the edge of the lava flow that forms Cascade Head, we will write poetry and prose inspired by edges of all kinds. Instruction will connect writers with whatever is poised to take flight.

Amber Coverdale Sumrall Amber Coverdale Sumrall offers the following writing workshops. See Amber’s website for more details. Call 477-4375 or email Amber for her current schedule and to reserve a place.
• Monthly Saturday Drop-In Poetry Revision Workshop, 10-12:30.
  Limited to six participants.
• Revision Group, prose and poetry, Thursday mornings. Eight-week sessions.
• Wednesday Evening Writing Group, Six-week sessions, $175.
• Thursday Evening Summer Poetry Playshops. July 7 to August 11, 7 to 9 PM.
• Friday Morning Spring Poetry Playshops. July 8 to August 12, 10 AM to Noon.
We will start new poems every other session, using a variety of exercises, forms, and loaned books to coax them out. In two of the sessions we will revise whichever poems you wish to bring in. Each group is limited to six.
All are welcome. Cost $225. You may pay in $50 increments if you choose.
Please RSVP so I can hold a place for you. A $50 deposit will be required.
In addition, Amber offers Writing Retreats:

• October 28-31, 2011 in St. Columbia, Point Reyes. Three Nights. $280 Shared Room.
• November 17-20, Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz. Celtic Spirituality, with Fr Michael Fish. In this three-night retreat we will explore Celtic Spirituality, using the writings of John O’Donohue, and others, offering opportunity for writing, reflection, and sharing. Three sit-down meals will be served in the seaside dining room. A few commuter spaces are available.
• December 16-19, 2011 at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur.
• March 2-5, 2012 at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur.
Three nights. $400 Private Room/$425 Trailer.
I have been leading weekend writing retreats at The Hermitage in Big Sur for eleven years. All of us who attend find the experience to be just what we need for our writing and inner process. There is time for reading, walking, napping, meditation, and simply being in a spectacularly beautiful and serene setting. The monastery is situated on a mountain high above the Big Sur Coastline with panoramic views in every direction. This is a silent retreat.
To sign up, call 831-477-4375 or email Amber.

Patrice Vecchione • Eight-Week Writing Workshops in Monterey and Santa Cruz
These are workshops where we spend time writing, gaining inspiration from each other and the material I bring.
Monterey: Wednesday evenings, 6:00 - 9:00, February 15 to April 4.
Santa Cruz: Monday afternoons, 1:00 - 4:00, February 20 to April 9.
patrice@patricevecchione.com, or 831-394-8459.
• Write the Morning Away, First Saturday morning of the month, February to May. a once-a-month, Saturday morning writing workshop through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Saturdays: 2/4, 3/3, 5/5 � 9:30 - 12:00 http://olli.csumb.edu/courses/
• The Nature Journal, Saturday, February 11, 2 to 4 pm
Writing in Nature at Jacks Peak Park in Monterey
through the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. More info: 831-372-3196
• Monterey Public Library's Poetry Circle
writing workshop
Saturday, April 14, 2:00 - 3:30
registration: 831-646-3949
• Tor House Poetry Workshop
April 21, 10:00 - 4:00
more information at www.torhouse.org or 831-624-1180
Contact Patrice at patrice@patricevecchione.com, or 831-394-8459.
For information on Patrice Vecchione, see her website, www.patricevecchione.com.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday, June 23
2:00–4:00 PM The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Emalou King. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, June 26
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents The Front Street Poetry Group featuring Ellen Hart, John Laue, Joanna Martin, Dan Phillips, and Bernice Rendrick. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

1st Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, July 3
8:00 PM Gabriella’s Literary Salon presents Patrice Vecchione. Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. (831) 457-1677 for reservations. 8:00 dinner, 9:00 reading and discussion over desserts and beverages.

Sunday, July 15
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, July 24
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Stephen Meadows and Patrice Vecchione. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Sunday, August 19
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, August 28
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Len Anderson and George Lober. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Wed. to Sun., September 5 to 9 The Fifth Haiku Pacific Rim Conference hosted by the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society and the Haiku Poets of Northern California will be held in Pacific Grove, California, at Asilomar Seashore and Conference Center. Asilomar is situated directly on the Pacific Coast in the beautiful natural setting of the Monterey Peninsula of California. The annual Yuki Teikei Haiku Retreat will be combined with the Haiku Pacific Rim Conference, which features the participation of haiku poets from the nations around the Pacific rim: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, United States, and Canada, among others. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Akito Arima, haiku master of the Ten�I Haiku Group of Japan, world-renowned physicist and former Minister of Education in Japan. Please visit http://haikupacificrim2012.wordpress.com for updated information, registration form, and conference details. Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove.

Sunday, September 16
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

Usually the 1st Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, September 18
8:00 PM Gabriella’s Salon presents Gary Young. Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. (831) 457-1677 for reservations. 8:00 dinner, 9:00 reading and discussion over desserts and beverages.

Saturday, September 22
2:00–4:00 PM The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, September 25
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Magdalena Montagne and Neal Whitman with his wife Elaine Whitman on Native American flute. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Sunday, October 21
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, October 23
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents the Crossroads Poets Marina Romani, Lisa Meckel, Anita Allen, and Alice Tao. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Saturday, October 27
2:00–4:00 PM The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.

Sunday, November 18
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday, November 22
7:00–9:00 PM The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents the Crossroads Poets Robert Nielsen, and Catherine Al-Meten. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.

Saturday, November 24
2:00–4:00 PM The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.

Sunday, December 16
2:00 PM Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced.
Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller.
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
[ map ] Free.

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CURRENT POETRY SANTA CRUZ EVENTS
Tuesday, June 12 7:30 PM	Favorite Poem Project Reading. Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road, Corralitos, CA 95076. [ map ] [ Read more about this event ] $3 donation suggested. Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
Sunday, June 17 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, 3-to-5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free. Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.

[return to top] OTHER POETRY EVENTS DURING THE NEXT MONTH (See also Weekly Events, below)
Th 5/3 9:30 AM, Tu 5/8 8:30 PM We 5/9 11:30 AM, Tu 5/15 10:00 AM Tu 5/15 8:30 PM, Mo 5/21 11:30 AM Tu 5/22 8:30 PM, Su 5/27 10:30 AM Tu 5/29 8:30 PM	Poetry Box, a half-hour TV poetry show on Community Television of Santa Cruz County, on Comcast cable channel 27 and Charter (Watsonville) channel 73. James Scully reading at Capitola Book Café 1/12/2010. Producer: Joanna Martin. Co-sponsored by Poetry Santa Cruz.
Every Wednesday Wed., May 23, 30 7:30 PM Signup, 8:00 Show	The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, May 22 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Taelen Thomas, and Daniel Yaryan. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Thursday, May 24 6:00–7:45 PM	UCSC Living Writers Series presents Justin Chin. Humanities Lecture Hall, UCSC. Free and open to the public.
Friday, May 25 7:00 PM	A Profile Performance by Santa Cruz County 2012 Artist of the Year Gary Young. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Free and open to the public.
Saturday, May 26 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Richard Sullivan. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
Saturday, May 26 6:00–8:00 PM	Porter Gulch Review Reading and Art Show. Live music, refreshments and FREE copies of the 27th edition of Porter Gulch Review will be provided. Cabrillo College Horticulture Center, top of the campus, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
Friday, June 1 6:00 PM	Reading of the Spring 2012 issue of phren-Z. Readers include: Buzz Anderson, Amber Coverdale Sumrall, Vinnie Hansen, Neal Hellman, Stephen Kessler, Paula Mahoney, Wilma Marcus Chandler, and Elizabeth McKenzie. Capitola Book Café, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola.
First Saturday of the month Saturday, June 2 2:30–5:00 PM	Lost Poets Salon Open Reading and Discussion. The Bagelry, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 95060. 420-0211.
Thursday, June 7 6:00–7:45 PM	UCSC Living Writers Series presents the Student Reading. Humanities Lecture Hall, UCSC. Free and open to the public.
Saturday, June 9 8:00 PM	Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale performs its Silver Anniversary Concert, presenting Mass in Blue by Will Todd along with favorite gospel and folk tunes and featuring the World Premiere of a piece commissioned by Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale and written by Will Todd and for this event, setting to music three poems by former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Nils Peterson based on anonymous ancient Greek lyric poems. California Theatre, 345 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. $24.
3rd Thursday of each month Thursday, June 21 7:00 PM	Poetry Reading @ Willow Glen Library with featured reader Len Anderson, open reading to follow. Note: If you read and wish your poem to be posted in the Willow Glen Poetry Project Blog, bring a hard copy of your poem and email it to willowglenpoetry@gmail.com. Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose. Free. Sponsored by Poetry Center San Jose.

[return to top] ONGOING EVENTS AND LISTINGS IN THE MEDIA
Every day 9:01 AM and 8:01 PM	The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor on KAZU 90.3 FM.
Every Sunday 9:00 to 10:00 PM	The Poetry Show on KUSP 88.9 FM. Hosted by Dennis Morton, Susan Freeman and Lesley-Anne Taylor. Live interviews, poems read by the host, taped readings or interviews. Archived shows are podcast for listening from the website. See also The Poetry Show Blog.
Various weekdays	Capitola Book Café hosts many author events, with local and visiting authors. Visit their website at http://www.capitolabookcafe.com/ for an up-to-date schedule.
Various	Check the literary events page for Monterey County.
Every Wednesday 8:00 to 9:00 PM	Out Of Our Minds on KKUP 91.5 FM. Hosted by J.P. Dancing Bear. Live interviews, poems read by the host, taped readings or interviews.
Every Wednesday 3:00 to 3:30 PM	Cover to Cover on KPFA 94.1 FM. Hosted by Jack Foley.

[return to top] WORKSHOPS
Sally Ashton	Sally Ashton, MFA, is a Bay Area poet, teacher, editor of the DMQ Review, an online journal featuring poetry and art, and current Santa Clara County Poet Laureate. She is the author of a collection, These Metallic Days, and her prose poem collection, Her Name is Juanita, was recently released from Kore Press. Ashton is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship, Poetry, from Arts Council Silicon Valley. She offers writing workshops in Santa Clara County.
Ellen Bass	Ellen Bass offers the following writing workshops. See Ellen’s website for more details and recent updates. • Ongoing Weekly groups in Santa Cruz: Writing For Our Lives. • Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm (all genres, emphasis on poetry) • Thursdays 3:00-6:00 pm (all genres emphasis on fiction and memoir) In addition, she offers the following writing retreats: • March 30–April 1, 2012: The Writing Life with Ellen Bass at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005. • May 29–June 3, 2011: Truth & Beauty: A Poetry Workshop with Marie Howe, Dorianne Laux, & Ellen Bass at Carter Hall in Millwood, Virginia. If you want to craft poems that reflect the inextricable marriage of truth and beauty, love and death, the luminous and the ordinary, please join us for this special workshop. We will elude and distract the censors that silence or limit us. We’ll question the stories we think are true and experience the power of not-knowing and discovery. For more information, please email Ellen or call 831-426-8006. • July 22–27, 2012: Writing and Knowing: A Poetry Workshop with Ellen Bass, Dorianne Laux, and Joseph Millar at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information, you may see Ellen’s website page and email Ellen. To register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005
Patria Brown	The Way of the Spiral with Patria Brown: In the fast-paced world of the twenty-first century, there is little allowance of time for artistic pursuit or reflection. Patria’s approach to poetry and the creative arts opens the deep spiral path to inner knowing and joyful and lively manifestation. Weekly writing and poetry sessions meet at 320 River Street in Santa Cruz. Ongoing sessions are limited to eight participants and are offered first-come, first-serve. Initial session is free. Suggested donation thereafter is $20. Reserve your place now by calling 831-425-5332 or emailing patria@outinthewoods.com. Bring a notebook, a pen, and an open heart. Be prepared to change your life! Saturday Mornings With the Muse Meets most Saturday mornings from 10 to 12. Together we shall write and read based on collaboratively chosen pieces of poetry. Women and Poetry Meets Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Together we study and write women's poetry. Women read, study, and write poetry in community. Mothers and Poetry Meets Saturdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 pm Mothers of growing children often feel there is never a moment for intellectual or creative pursuit. We read short pieces (not more than one hour per week), come together, discuss, and write in community about issues surrounding the experience of mothering in all its facets. Patria Brown also teaches Soul Collage, leads a Thursday Morning Crones group and is working on other projects. Contact her if you are interested at 831-425-5332 or email patria@outinthewoods.com
Cabrillo College	English 12B (Creative Writing: Poetry) and 14B (Advanced Poetry Workshop) See the Schedule of classes for the current offering. Fall 2012: English 12B Creative Writing: Poetry (Section 74634) and English 14B Advanced Poetry Workshop (Section 74627), taught by Jim Maughn will be held simultaneously Thursdays 6:00 to 9:05 PM, Room 406, 3 units.
Capitola Book Café	Capitola Book Café offers workshops for writers of fiction, poetry and more. For details, see the Events page on their website: www.capitolabookcafe.com.
Andy Couturier, The Opening	The Opening is a place for writing that emphasizes the intuitive mind of the writer. By prioritizing play and open-ended exploration, and by using innovative techniques to access our innate human capacities for improvisation, we find ourselves coming upon the unexpected in ourselves — and in the world. When we combine these techniques with new ways to develop the sensitivity of our perception, both the writer and the writing grow naturally, of their own accord. Classes offered in Santa Cruz and Oakland. See Andy Couturier’s bio. Sign up for the Mailing List on the website. Telephone 831-728-9983 or 510-594-1905. • Book Completion Group: - Thursday nights 6-10 pm, starting May 31 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $475, $195 deposit. - Monday nights 6-10 pm, starting July 9 in Oakland - Tuesday afts. 11:30-3:30, starting July 3 14 in Oakland • Life Story / Creative Nonfiction: - Wednesday nights 6-9 pm, starting May 9 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $390, $195 deposit (no class meeting March 14). - Tuesday nights 7-10 pm, starting May 22 in Oakland Registration required to hold your place. Register online or by mail with the deposit to: The Opening, PO Box 881, Santa Cruz, CA, 95061 but send an email first to hold your place. Note: No class 10/27. Call 831-728-9983 for more info, or to ask about the installment payment plan.
Laura Davis	Laura Davis offers a variety of writing workshops. See the Laura Davis website for details and for more classes and retreats. • Ongoing Writing Practice Classes: - Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 pm - Wednesday mornings, 10 am to 1 pm, women only Special Introductory Rate for New Students: $150 for 4 Weeks of Writing Practice Class. More info: (831) 464-9517 • Ongoing Feedback Classes: - Thursday evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 pm - Friday mornings, 9 am to 12 noon
Esalen Institute	The following poetry workshops are offered at Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920, (831) 667-3005, info@esalen.org. • December 2-4, 2011: The Writing Life with Ellen Bass at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005. • July 22-27, 2012: Writing and Knowing: A Poetry Workshop with Ellen Bass, Dorianne Laux, and Joseph Millar at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur. For more information, you may see Ellen’s website page and email Ellen. To register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005
Carolyn Brigit Flynn	Carolyn offers regular writing groups, called Writing to Feed the Soul. Carolyn’s teaching themes include an imaginative mix of poetry and prose, evoking dreams, the elements, ancestors, the earth and nature, animals, spirit guides, sacred geometry, tarot and myth—all with the intention to allow archetypal and mythic themes to provide seed and sacred ground for new and enlivened writing. Writers often find that a new voice emerges, and that their work goes deeper, exploring vital themes and profound hidden stories. • Bi-Monthly Groups meet twice a month, the first two weeks of the month (except for October, when they will meet the last two weeks). During teaching weeks, there will be three writing groups meeting regularly: - Tuesday, 2:00-5:30 pm - Wednesday, 6:00-9:30 pm - Thursday, 2:00-5:30 pm • Monthly Group. One group meets monthly the second Saturday of the month (except for October, when they will meet on Oct 24) More information at her website www.carolynbrigitflynn.com For questions or to sign up, please email carolynflynn@cruzio.com
Joyce Keller	Creative Writing for Fun. Louden Nelson classes for Downtown Seniors. Learn how to make creative writing easy and enjoyable in the friendly and supportive class. Stories, poetry, journalism, memoirs. Suggested donation: $4 for Santa Cruz city residents, $4.25 non-city residents. Taught by Joyce Keller, M.S. Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. Mondays 1:00 to 2:30 pm.
Danusha Laméris	Danusha Laméris offers Poetry and Essay/Memoir classes in Santa Cruz. Danusha Laméris’s work has been published in Lyric, Poetry Northwest, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun and The Crab Orchard Review as well as in a variety of other journals. Her poems have also appeared in the anthologies In a Fine Frenzy: Poets Respond to Shakespeare, A Bird as Black as the Sun: California Poets on Crows and Ravens, and Intimate Kisses. Last year she was a finalist for the 2010 New Letters Prize in poetry. Danusha offers a series of classes for poets and personal essay/memoir writers. These groups are a safe container in which to share writing and to give and receive constructive feedback. Whether you are published, have been at it for years, or are brand-new at attempting the craft, these classes offer a structure that nurtures your work. - Poetry: Tuesdays, 3:00 to 6:00 pm, beginning January 10 - Mixed Genre: Thursdays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, beginning January 12 Cost: 6 weeks $240 Contact: e-mail lameris@yahoo.com or call (831) 239-4277 to reserve your space. 12 person maximum per class.
Magdalena Montagne	The Community Poetry Circle will take place monthly in three library branches through June: On the 1st Saturday, 10 am to 12 noon at the Santa Cruz Central Branch Library. On the 2nd Saturday, 1 to 3 pm at the Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Drive. On the 3rd Saturday, 2 to 4 pm at the Scotts Valley Branch Library, 230-D Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley. APRIL POETRY READING on Saturday, April 28, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the SC Central Branch Library (upstairs community meeting room) for National Poetry Month. If you have written a poem in the circle, you are invited to read. Contact Magdalena for more information at magdarose@hughes.net. For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776, e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net, or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/ Muse Poetry Writing Group at Capitola Book Café, 7-9 pm, May 18 and June 8. With over ten years experience leading poetry writing groups, Magdalena Montagne can help you bring out the poet within. Join this drop-in group for a fun and creative evening of poetry writing and discussion. All levels and ages are encouraged. Cost: $5 to Capitola Book Café and $5 to Magdalena to participate, please. For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776, e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net, or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/ Mixed Media—Poetry and Collage: Finding the Inner Story. At the Santa Cruz Art League, 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. Offered Saturday, March 31, from 10:00 am–1:00 pm. $35/25. In this class, participants will use the concepts of found poetry and collage to create original works of art and connect more deeply with their poet’s voice. The class will include instruction in writing and editing techniques as well as hands-on cut-and-paste collage art. All levels of poets and artists encouraged. Taught by Magdalena Montagne. Contact instructor at magdarose@hughes.net or 831-252-5776 prior to class to receive information about materials to bring. Writing the Memoir at the Watsonville Community Hospital, 75 Nielson Street, Watsonville, CA 95076-2468, as part of Senior Circle classes, for those fifty years of age and better. Four classes: March 6, April 3, May 1, June 5, 2012, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Cost is $5.00 per session. Attend one or all of these Tuesday afternoon classes. For more information, call Magdalena at (831) 252-5776, e-mail her at magdarose@hughes.net, or see her website http://www.poetrycircle-magdalena.com/
Monterey Bay Writers Studio	Monterey Bay Writers Studio offers classes in Santa Cruz for writers of all genre as well as classes specifically for fiction and creative nonfiction. For details, see the website: www.montereybaywriters.com.
Poetry Center San Jose	Poets @ Play. Have you ever wanted a quiet place to write? Or an informal gathering for collaborating with fellow poets about works in progress? That’s what Poets@Play is all about. We alternate between writing and sharing our works in progress. This is not a workshop, but rather a playhouse—some starter ideas and a comfortable place to play with words. Registration is encouraged, but not required, at poetsatplay@pcsj.org (we can also provide you with information on how to avoid a parking fee). Saturday, June 12, 10 AM to 4 PM at the Edwin Markham House, History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose, California 95112. www.pcsj.org.
Sarah Rabkin	Sarah Rabkin teaches writing, nature writing, nature journals and nature sketching in various settings. • High Country Writing Retreat taught by Sarah Rabkin at the San Francisco State University Sierra Nevada Field Campus, North Yuba River, 35400 Highway 49, Sattley, CA. July 15-20, 2012, Sunday-Friday. Contact: jrblair @ sfsu.edu Take inspiration from the Sierra's spiced air and rushing waters. Explore the Lakes Basin, Sierra Buttes, Yuba River, & Sierra Valley. Group sessions provide guidance and prompts as well as time to write and share work without judgment. Unstructured periods allow for individual writing, wandering, and optional one-on-one instructor conferences. Bring a writing project in progress, an empty notebook ready to be filled, or both. For new and experienced writers • Writing at the Edge taught by Sarah Rabkin at the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, 56605 Sitka Drive, Otis, OR 97368. Monday, August 20 to Tuesday, August 21, 2011. Contact: info@sitkacenter.org At the lip of a continent or the limits of propriety, edges are jumping-off places�unsettling and exhilarating. On the edge of the lava flow that forms Cascade Head, we will write poetry and prose inspired by edges of all kinds. Instruction will connect writers with whatever is poised to take flight.
Amber Coverdale Sumrall	Amber Coverdale Sumrall offers the following writing workshops. See Amber’s website for more details. Call 477-4375 or email Amber for her current schedule and to reserve a place. • Monthly Saturday Drop-In Poetry Revision Workshop, 10-12:30. Limited to six participants. • Revision Group, prose and poetry, Thursday mornings. Eight-week sessions. • Wednesday Evening Writing Group, Six-week sessions, $175. • Thursday Evening Summer Poetry Playshops. July 7 to August 11, 7 to 9 PM. • Friday Morning Spring Poetry Playshops. July 8 to August 12, 10 AM to Noon. We will start new poems every other session, using a variety of exercises, forms, and loaned books to coax them out. In two of the sessions we will revise whichever poems you wish to bring in. Each group is limited to six. All are welcome. Cost $225. You may pay in $50 increments if you choose. Please RSVP so I can hold a place for you. A $50 deposit will be required. In addition, Amber offers Writing Retreats: • October 28-31, 2011 in St. Columbia, Point Reyes. Three Nights. $280 Shared Room. • November 17-20, Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz. Celtic Spirituality, with Fr Michael Fish. In this three-night retreat we will explore Celtic Spirituality, using the writings of John O’Donohue, and others, offering opportunity for writing, reflection, and sharing. Three sit-down meals will be served in the seaside dining room. A few commuter spaces are available. • December 16-19, 2011 at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur. • March 2-5, 2012 at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur. Three nights. $400 Private Room/$425 Trailer. I have been leading weekend writing retreats at The Hermitage in Big Sur for eleven years. All of us who attend find the experience to be just what we need for our writing and inner process. There is time for reading, walking, napping, meditation, and simply being in a spectacularly beautiful and serene setting. The monastery is situated on a mountain high above the Big Sur Coastline with panoramic views in every direction. This is a silent retreat. To sign up, call 831-477-4375 or email Amber.
Patrice Vecchione	• Eight-Week Writing Workshops in Monterey and Santa Cruz These are workshops where we spend time writing, gaining inspiration from each other and the material I bring. Monterey: Wednesday evenings, 6:00 - 9:00, February 15 to April 4. Santa Cruz: Monday afternoons, 1:00 - 4:00, February 20 to April 9. patrice@patricevecchione.com, or 831-394-8459. • Write the Morning Away, First Saturday morning of the month, February to May. a once-a-month, Saturday morning writing workshop through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Saturdays: 2/4, 3/3, 5/5 � 9:30 - 12:00 http://olli.csumb.edu/courses/ • The Nature Journal, Saturday, February 11, 2 to 4 pm Writing in Nature at Jacks Peak Park in Monterey through the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. More info: 831-372-3196 • Monterey Public Library's Poetry Circle writing workshop Saturday, April 14, 2:00 - 3:30 registration: 831-646-3949 • Tor House Poetry Workshop April 21, 10:00 - 4:00 more information at www.torhouse.org or 831-624-1180 Contact Patrice at patrice@patricevecchione.com, or 831-394-8459. For information on Patrice Vecchione, see her website, www.patricevecchione.com.

[return to top] LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, June 23 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Emalou King. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, June 26 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents The Front Street Poetry Group featuring Ellen Hart, John Laue, Joanna Martin, Dan Phillips, and Bernice Rendrick. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
1st Tuesday of each month Tuesday, July 3 8:00 PM	Gabriella’s Literary Salon presents Patrice Vecchione. Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. (831) 457-1677 for reservations. 8:00 dinner, 9:00 reading and discussion over desserts and beverages.
Sunday, July 15 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, July 24 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Stephen Meadows and Patrice Vecchione. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Sunday, August 19 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, August 28 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Len Anderson and George Lober. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Wed. to Sun., September 5 to 9	The Fifth Haiku Pacific Rim Conference hosted by the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society and the Haiku Poets of Northern California will be held in Pacific Grove, California, at Asilomar Seashore and Conference Center. Asilomar is situated directly on the Pacific Coast in the beautiful natural setting of the Monterey Peninsula of California. The annual Yuki Teikei Haiku Retreat will be combined with the Haiku Pacific Rim Conference, which features the participation of haiku poets from the nations around the Pacific rim: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, United States, and Canada, among others. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Akito Arima, haiku master of the Ten�I Haiku Group of Japan, world-renowned physicist and former Minister of Education in Japan. Please visit http://haikupacificrim2012.wordpress.com for updated information, registration form, and conference details. Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove.
Sunday, September 16 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
Usually the 1st Tuesday of each month Tuesday, September 18 8:00 PM	Gabriella’s Salon presents Gary Young. Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. (831) 457-1677 for reservations. 8:00 dinner, 9:00 reading and discussion over desserts and beverages.
Saturday, September 22 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, September 25 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Magdalena Montagne and Neal Whitman with his wife Elaine Whitman on Native American flute. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Sunday, October 21 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, October 23 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents the Crossroads Poets Marina Romani, Lisa Meckel, Anita Allen, and Alice Tao. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Saturday, October 27 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
Sunday, November 18 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, November 22 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents the Crossroads Poets Robert Nielsen, and Catherine Al-Meten. East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey. $5.
Saturday, November 24 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader to be announced. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073. Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff. Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
Sunday, December 16 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Open reading signup at 2:00 sharp, with 5-minute limit. Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ] Free.
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