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.) Current Poetry Santa Cruz events  Current events co-sponsored by Poetry Santa Cruz  Other poetry events during the next month  Ongoing Weekly events  Workshops  Looking Ahead at future events, both PSC and others    Poetry Santa Cruz events and interviews Archive Poetry Santa Cruz events Video Archive Photo Gallery from Al Young Day Photo Gallery from the Robert Bly reading Poetry Santa Cruz Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured readers 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
Sunday, February 19 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader Catherine O’Kelly. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
Saturday, March 10 7:30 PM	Amber Coverdale Sumrall and Dena Taylor present The 30th Annual In Celebration of the Muse, featuring 20 local women authors: Ellen Treen, Barbara Bloom, Adela Najarro, Lisa Simon, Julie Hannah Brower, Laura Young, Tilly Washburn Shaw, Elizabeth McKenzie, Dee Roe, Patricia Zylius, Alta Ifland, Clifford Henderson, Kate Aver Avraham, Farnaz Fatemi, Susan Freeman, Suki Wessling, Jo-Ann Birch, Rosie King, Ellen Bass, Danusha Laméris.  Cabrillo College Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.  $16/advance, $18/door, $8 with Cabrillo College Student Activity Card.  Advance tickets available February 15 and advised as the reading may sell out. Sponsored by Cabrillo College English Department.  A benefit for Poetry Santa Cruz. [ See the art poster, full advance ticket information and directions ]
Tuesday, March 13 7:30 PM	Travis Mossotti and Ingrid Moody. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz.  [ map ] $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz. [ Read more about this event ]
CURRENT EVENTS CO-SPONSORED BY POETRY SANTA CRUZ
Sunday, February 12, 2012 3:30 to 10:00 PM	Poetry Festival Santa Cruz: Featured performers will include: Wanda Coleman, Jack Hirschman, Michael C. Ford (with Ray Manzarek), Genny Lim, Lorna Dee Cervantes, The Ellyn Maybe Band, Stephen Kessler, Avotcja & Modupue, Charles Curtis Blackwell, Andy Clausen, Ellen Bass, Jerry Kamstra, A.D. Winans, Gerald Nicosia, Cara Vida, S.A. Griffin, Jennifer Barone with Nova Jazz Band, Mike The Poet, Jane Ormerod, Marc Olmsted, Rich Ferguson (w/Bo Blount), Floyd Salas, Claire Ortalda, Gary Young, Quiet Lightning, Ron Lampi, T. Mike Walker, Keith Savage, Dennis Holt, Peter Marti, Kevin Patrick Sullivan, and John Allen Cassady.  Musical Guests: The Invertebrates, Alan Sitar Brown, Ruebi Lynn Jimenez and Geordie Van Der Bosch.  Hosted by San Francisco poet MCs extraordinaire Ginger Murray and Marc Kockinos.  Cocoanut Grove Grand Ballroom, 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz.  Advance tickets are now available at: http://www.showclix.com/event/poetryfestivalsantacruz Order tickets by phone (at no additional cost) by calling, 1-888-71-TICKETS. The Showclix call center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00AM - 9:00PM (EST). Presented by Sparring with Beatnik Ghosts. The event is co-sponsored by Bookshop Santa Cruz, Poetry Santa Cruz, Seabright Brewery, Santa Cruz Weekly, Santa Cruz Art League, Nickelodeon/Del Mar, Food Bin & Herb Room, The Starving Musician, The Beat Museum, Felix Kulpa Gallery, Poetry Flash, Sport About, Community Printers, Santa Cruz Construction Guild and more. Part of the proceeds of Poetry Festival Santa Cruz will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz. To join the volunteer committee, contact Daniel Yaryan. Here is historical information about the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival (which has not been held since 1981).

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.

[return to top] OTHER POETRY EVENTS DURING THE NEXT MONTH (See also Weekly Events, below)
Th 2/2 11:30 AM, Tu 2/7 8:30 PM We 2/8 12:30 PM, Sa 2/11 12:00 AM Tu 2/14 8:30 PM, Mo 2/20 11:00 AM Tu 2/21 8:30 PM, Fr 2/24 2:00 PM Su 2/26 10:00 AM, Tu 2/28 8:30 PM	The 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. Len Anderson, Release Reading for Invented by the Night, part 2.  Producer: Joanna Martin.  Co-sponsored by Poetry Santa Cruz.
Every Wednesday Wed., Feb. 8, 15, 22, 29 7:30 PM Signup, 8:00 Show	The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.
Thursday, February 9 6:00 PM	The UCSC Living Writers Reading Series presents The Black Took Collective: Dawn Lundy Martin, Duriel E. Harris and Ronaldo V. Wilson .  Humanities Lecture Hall 206, UCSC.  Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Siegfried B. & Elisabeth Mignon Puknat Literary Studies Endowment, Porter College George Hitchcock Poetry Fund, Poets & Writers through the grant from the James Irvine Foundation, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, Laurie Sain Creative Writing Endowment, Literature Department and the Creative Writing Program.
Friday, February 10 7:00 to 8:30 PM	Open Mic and Art Exhibit. Poetry, prose, music and song. Any style or language. Bring your own work or read someone else’s, or just come and enjoy. Everyone welcome. But you must definitely bring an open mind. Free. (Usually the 2nd Friday of the month) Blak Sage Gallery of Fine Art, 727 San Benito St., Hollister. 831-636-9100.
Saturday, February 11 12:30 to 5:30 PM	The Love Letters Project. Members of Santa Cruz Writes will write love letters and/or poems for all who show up and ask. The love letters and poems will be published in the inaugural issue phren-Z, a new quarterly online literary magazine. They will also be used in the “All We Need Is Love” exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of History from March through June. Letters and poems will be written in three locations in downtown Santa Cruz: Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Paciific Ave.; Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St.; and Felix Kulpa Gallery, 107 Elm St., Santa Cruz
Sunday, February 12 3:00 to 5:00 PM	The Pacific Grove Art Center presents A Valentine’s Day Musical Love Fest with The Something Cool Trio: Bill Minor, Jen Schaaf, Heath Proskin plus Norma and Richard Mayer. Jazz standards, love songs & arias, poems set to music. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $15. (831) 375-2208.
Tuesday, February 14	Online launch of the new online literary magazine phren-Z featuring local writers Wallace Baine, Don Rothman, Carolyn Burke, Gary Young, Farnaz Fatemi, Clifford Henderson, Micah Perks, Paul Skenazy, Karen Ackland, and an interview with Karen Tei Yamashita by Julia Chiapella.
Tuesday, February 14 5:30 PM	Poetry Center San Jose presents A Revel of Poetry, Music & Wine featuring Nils Peterson, Sally Ashton and the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus conducted by Shawn Reifschneider. The reading starts at 5:30; come early for a glass of wine or soft drink. A donation of $10 is requested. Le Petit Trianon, 72 N. Fifth Street, San Jose, CA 95113.
Wednesday, February 15 7:00 PM	Reading by Rae Armantrout, the author of eleven books of poetry, including the forthcoming Money Shot, and the 2009 collection Versed, which received both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 2nd floor rooms 225-229, San José CA 95112.    Sponsored by San José State University Center for Literary Arts.
Thursday, February 16 1:00 PM	Rae Armantrout In Conversation with Juliana Spahr.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 2nd floor rooms 225-229, San José CA 95112.    Sponsored by San José State University Center for Literary Arts.
Thursday, February 16 7:00 PM	The UCSC Living Writers Reading Series presents a poetry reading by giovanni singleton and Ara Shirinyan.  Humanities Lecture Hall 206 UCSC.  Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Siegfried B. & Elisabeth Mignon Puknat Literary Studies Endowment, Porter College George Hitchcock Poetry Fund, Poets & Writers through the grant from the James Irvine Foundation, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, Laurie Sain Creative Writing Endowment, Literature Department and the Creative Writing Program.
Thursday, February 16 7:00 PM	The Tannery Arts Lecture Series presents Satisfying Art: Exploring Sensuality. An evening of erotic art, poetry, performance, and more. Tannery Arts Center, Tannery Community Room #117, 1000 River St., Santa Cruz.
Thursday, February 16 7:00 PM	Talk Story with featured readers Len Anderson and Tru Dillon. Open Mic to follow.  Luminescence Day Spa and Tea Room, 13140 Hwy 9, downtown Boulder Creek.
3rd Thursday of each month Thursday, February 16 7:00 PM	Poetry Reading @ Willow Glen Library with featured readers Patricia Machmiller, Joan Zimmerman, Judith Schallberger and Carol Steele reading from Wild Violets, the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society Anthology for 2011. 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.
Thursday, February 23 6:00 PM	The UCSC Living Writers Reading Series presents Garrett Hongo.  Humanities Lecture Hall 206, UCSC.  Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Siegfried B. & Elisabeth Mignon Puknat Literary Studies Endowment, Porter College George Hitchcock Poetry Fund, Poets & Writers through the grant from the James Irvine Foundation, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, Laurie Sain Creative Writing Endowment, Literature Department and the Creative Writing Program.
Saturday, February 25 Signup 8:30, Show 9:00 PM	The Legendary Santa Cruz Legendary Poetry Slam & Open Mic.  The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 95062.  $7 door.  $60 first prize. Schedule is dependent on availability at The Crepe Place. Check website to verify.
Saturday, February 25 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Dana Bagshaw.  Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel 95073.  Hosted by Jean Walton Wolff.  Fourth Saturday of the month: September to November, February to June.
Last Saturday of the month Saturday, February 25 6:30 PM	The Legendary Santa Cruz Indie Slam.  Open mic and poetry slam.  Cash prizes, open signup list, 10 poets, 2 rounds.  $5 admission.  info@legendarycollective.com, www.legendarycollective.com Cypress Lounge, 120 Union Street, Santa Cruz CA 95060.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, February 28, 2012 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Barbara Bloom and Donna Wobber.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Friday, March 2 5:00–6:00 PM	Live launch of the new online literary magazine phren-Z with contributors reading from their work. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St.
First Saturday of the month Saturday, March 3 2:30–5:00 PM	Lost Poets Salon Open Reading and Discussion.  The Bagelry, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 95060. 420-0211.

[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 March 1 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $475,      $195 deposit.    - Monday nights 6-10 pm, starting February 13 in Oakland    - Tuesday afts. 11:30-3:30, starting February 14 in Oakland • Life Story / Creative Nonfiction:    - Wednesday nights 6-9 pm, starting February 8 in Santa Cruz, 8 weeks $390,      $195 deposit (no class meeting March 14).    - Tuesday nights 7-10 pm, starting February 21 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	October through March, the Community Poetry Circle will take place monthly in three library branches: 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. 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 on Friday, Feb. 17.  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/ Writing Our Way to Forgiveness at The Land Of Medicine Buddha, 5800 Prescott Road, Soquel Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 9 am to 1 pm.  Sliding scale fee: $25-$40. We all struggle with how to forgive, and we all have many transgressions to get over! During this half-day workshop, we will use writing practice to inquire as to the nature of forgiveness and the possibility of achieving forgiveness in our lives. Reflecting on the words of poets such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Rumi, Sharon Olds, and other prestigious authors, we will write our way to the freedom of reconciliation. Attend this workshop to go deeper in your writing and in your life. You will leave with several new poems and a deeper understanding of the power of forgiveness. 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, February 18, 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. Strong Voices: Crafting poetry for performance in a poetry slam. Appropriate for ages 13-17. Art du Jour, 1013 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, 75 Nielson Street. February 21, 23, 28 and March 1, 4:30-6:00 pm (after school program). Cost: $140.00 for 4 classes. Poetry Slam on Friday, March 2, from 6:00-9:00 pm. Free! The emphasis will be on writing poems with the goals of exploring the writing craft and performing original works at a poetry slam which will be recorded onto DVD for each student. 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.
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 Ñ 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
Thursday, March 15 6:00 PM	The UCSC Living Writers Reading Series presents Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile c/o Prof. Jeff Allen.  Humanities Lecture Hall 206, UCSC.  Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Siegfried B. & Elisabeth Mignon Puknat Literary Studies Endowment, Porter College George Hitchcock Poetry Fund, Poets & Writers through the grant from the James Irvine Foundation, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, Laurie Sain Creative Writing Endowment, Literature Department and the Creative Writing Program.
Sunday, March 18 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
Saturday, March 24 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader John Chandler.  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, March 31 7:00 PM	One through Love–the Poetry of Rumi with Poet Laureates Sally Ashton, Parthenia Hicks and David Denny plus film producers Stephen Olsson and Parisa Soultani.  De Anza College Visual and Performing Arts Center, Cupertino.
4th Tuesday of each month Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Julia Alter Canvin and Kim Ly Bui-Burton.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
1st Tuesday of each month Tuesday, April 7 8:00 PM	Gabriella’s Literary Salon presents Stephen Kessler.  Gabriella Café, 910 Cedar St., Santa Cruz.  (831) 457-1677 for reservations. 8:00 dinner, 9:00 reading and discussion over desserts and beverages.
Tuesday, April 10 7:30 PM	Troy Jollimore and co-reader to be announced. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz.  [ map ] $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
Sunday, April 15 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 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, April 24, 2012 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Penelope Duckworth and Diana Garcia.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Saturday, April 28 2:00–4:00 PM	The Community Reading Series presents an open reading for poetry and prose, with featured reader Barbara Bloom.  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, May 20 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 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, May 22, 2012 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents The Front Street Poetry Group featuring Kate Aver Avraham, Laura Bayless, Ellen Hart, Jennifer Lagier, John Laue, Joanna Martin, and Dan Phillips.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
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.
1st Tuesday of each month Tuesday, June 5 8:00 PM	Gabriella’s Literary Salon presents Lisa Ortiz.  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, June 17 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
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, 2012 7:00–9:00 PM	The Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Julia Alter Canvin and Kim Ly Bui-Burton.  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. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 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, 2012 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. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 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, 2012 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.
Sunday, September 16 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
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.
Sunday, October 21 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader to be announced. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
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. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
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. Signup at 2:00 sharp, 5-minute limit.  Hosted by Joyce Keller. Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. [ map ]  Free.
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