Below is our comprehensive list of poetry events in and around Santa Cruz.  Note that we have reorganized this list as follows: The Monthly list has been integrated into the Other list, while the Workshops are now in a separate list.  The Weekly list is unchanged. Readers in our Tuesday series are often interviewed and read more of their poetry on The Poetry Show on KUSP 88.9 FM, Sundays 8:00-9:00pm. (Webcast available.) Current Poetry Santa Cruz events  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 2004 Event Gallery Photo Gallery from Al Young Day Photo Gallery from the Robert Bly reading Photo Gallery from the June 13, 2006 reading by Kathleen Flowers, Doug McClellan, Kathryn Petruccelli and Patti Sirens Poetry Santa Cruz Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured readers And then there is always Poetry Flash.

CURRENT POETRY SANTA CRUZ EVENTS
Tuesday, May 13 7:30 PM	Bear Flag Republic: Prose Poems and Poetics from California with Christopher Buckley, Gary Young, Morton Marcus, Robert Sward, Stephen Kessler, Alta Ifland, Doren Robbins, Joseph Stroud, Diane Franks, Ana Delgadillo and Eliot Schain . Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.  $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz. [Read more about this event.]
Tuesday, May 20 7:00 PM	15th Annual High School Poetry Competition Reading, Awards Ceremony and Celebration of the Anthology. Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 809-H Bay Avenue, Capitola. Free.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. [Read more about this event.]
2nd Sunday of each month Sunday, June 8 2:00 PM	Poet/Speak Open Reading with featured reader Peggy Heinrich.  Main Library upstairs Meeting Room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.  Free.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz and hosted by Joyce Keller.
EVENTS CO-SPONSORED BY POETRY SANTA CRUZ
Wednesday, May 28 7:30 PM	Jennifer Firestone and Dana Teen Lomax.  Felix Kulpa Gallery, 107 Elm St., Santa Cruz.  Free.  Presented by A New Cadence Poetry Series. [Read more on the A New Cadence blog.]

For future events see the Looking Ahead listing. Poetry Santa Cruz receives funding from the the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County and Poets & Writers, Inc., and is sponsored by Casablanca Inn, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Capitola Book Cafe, The Attic, National Writers Union Chapter 7, KUSP, the William James Association, the Museum of Art & History, and Cabrillo College.  Membership premiums have been donated by Copper Canyon Press, Graywolf Press, the University of Pittsburgh Press, Robert Sward, Coffee House Press and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.   A voluntary donation of $3 will 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)
Tuesdays, at 8:30 PM Thursdays at 9:00 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. • Tuesdays, May 13, 20 at 8:30 PM, and Thursdays, May 15, 22 at 9:00 PM: Poetry from Ireland & Finland Part 1 of 3, filmed in 2007. Producer: Joanna Martin.  Sponsored by Poetry Santa Cruz.
Every Friday Friday, May 16, 23 and 30 7 PM Signup, 7:30 Start	The Wired Poets Open Mic at the Wired Wash Café, 135 Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. Now on MySpace.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, May 13 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Joanna Martin and Illia Thompson.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Thursday, May 15 7:00 PM	Readers to be announced.  Willow Glen Books, 1130 Lincoln Avenue, San José.   Sponsored by Poetry Center San José.
The 3rd Saturday of each month Saturday, May 17 8:00 PM, signup at 7:30	Open Mic for musicians, poets, magicians and other artists of all ages to perform in front of a live audience.  Refreshments provided.  Donations accepted.  Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County, 6401 Freedom Blvd.  Aptos. 477-7588.
Saturday, May 17 6:00 to 10:00 PM	Robinson Jeffers at Point Sur.  A tour by moonlight of the Lighthouse at Point Sur, followed by refreshments and poetry reading by local poets in the Barn.  Fee $25.   Reservations are required and the fee of $25 must be paid by check or cash prior to the event.  Please make checks payable to The Tor House Foundation and send to: Tor House Foundation, P.O. Box 2713, Carmel, CA 93921.  Please include your telephone number when signing up. Signups accepted by telephone (831-624-1813) or email.  Presented by Robinson Jeffers Tor House, co-sponsored by the Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers and the California State Parks.
Sunday, May 18 2:00 PM	Poetry in Song, featuring Nils Peterson.  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1957 Pruneridge Avenue, Santa Clara.  Benefit for St. Mark’s Poetry Project and Poetry Center San José’s 2009 California Poets Festival.
Tuesday, May 20 11:00 AM	Robert Bly colloquium.  Terrace Room, Margaret Jacks Hall (Building 460), Stanford University.
2nd & 4th Sundays of each month Sunday, May 25 Signup by 7:30 PM, 8:00 Start	The Legendary Santa Cruz Poetry Slam at the Poet & Patriot Irish Pub, 320 Cedar St., Suite E, Santa Cruz.  Must be 21 or older, no minors. No cover. 10 poets. 3 min. 10 sec. limit. One free beer to each poet that reads. 5 judges. 831-426-8620. www.santacruzslam.com
Friday, May 30 6:30 PM	Porter Gulch Review 2008 reading of poetry and short ficiton, exhibition of art, distribution of copies.  Horticulture Lecture Hall, Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
The 1st Tuesday of each month Tuesday, June 3 7:30 PM	Poetry First! open mic with featured readers featured readers to be announced.  South First Billiards, 420 S. 1st Street, San José.   Sponsored by Poetry Center San José and the Creative Writing Department at San José State University.
The 1st Saturday of each month Saturday, June 7 2:30 to 5:00 PM	Lost Poets Salon Open Reading and Discussion. Free. Downtown Bagelry, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz.  (831) 425-0211
The Saturday after the 1st Friday of each month Saturday, June 7 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Signup 1:00	Open Reading and book sales. Free. 17th Avenue Studios, Santa Cruz.  See the MAP!

[return to top] ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS
Every day 9:01 AM and 8:01 PM	The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor on KAZU 90.3 FM.
Every Sunday 8:00-9:00 PM	The Poetry Show on KUSP 88.9 FM. Hosted by Dennis Morton, Morton Marcus and Lesley-Anne Taylor.  Live interviews, poems read by the host, taped readings or interviews.
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 8:00-9:00 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 3:00-3:30 PM	Cover to Cover on KPFA 94.1 FM. Hosted by Jack Foley.
Every Friday 7 PM Signup, 7:30 Start	The Wired Poets Open Mic at the Wired Wash Café, 135 Laurel Street at Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. Now on MySpace.

[return to top] WORKSHOPS
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 About Our Lives (And Everything Else). • Tuesdays 6:00 to 9:00 pm for Women and Men (all genres) • Wednesdays 1:00-4:00 pm for Women (poetry focus) • Thursdays 3:00-6:00 pm for Women (all genres) In addition, she offers the following writing retreats: • May 3-10, 2008: Writing For Our Lives at LaSerrania, Mallorca, Spain.    For more information visit www.laserrania.com or email: retreats@laserrania.com • September 5-7, 2008: The Writer's Life with Ellen Bass at the Esalen, Big Sur.    For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005 • December 7-12, 2008: Writing and Knowing: A Poetry Workshop with Ellen Bass, Dorianne Laux, and Joe Millar at the Esalen Institute, Big Sur.    For more information and to register, visit www.esalen.org or call 831-667-3005
The 32nd Annual Foothill Writers’ Conference	• The Foothill Writers’ Conference will take place on the Foothill College Campus in Los Altos Hills Wednesday, July 9 to Sunday, July 13 and costs only $53.50 for California residents.  It covers Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-fiction.  Speakers and teachers will include Kathleen de Azevedo, Dan Bellm, Denny Berthiaume, Andrea Hollander Budy, Christopher Buckley, Alan Cheuse, Dennis Drury, Sharon Doubiago, Linda Janakos, Avotcja Jiltonilro, Carol Lem, Ann Marie Macari, Morton Marcus, David Meltzer, Clare Morris, Joanne Palamountain, Sandy Poindexter, Doren Robbins, Floyd Salas, Dixie Salazar, Greg Sarris, Catherine Seidel, Lawrence R. Smith, Gerald Stern, Jon Veinberg, Marianne Villanueva, Eugene Warren, Kim Silveira Wolterbeek, Al Young, Gary Young. See the Conference web pages for more information.
Sarah Rabkin	• Everyday Poetry. Sunday, September 7, at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Cascade Head, Oregon Coast.   Writing poems is a way of paying attention to our lives, distilling meaning from everyday moments, communicating experience.  Everyone can create poems that matter.  In this one-day workshop, we will open various doors into the world of poetry, ranging over a variety of topics, tactics, voices, and moods.  Each participant will emerge with original poems and with tools for making poetry a regular practice.  All are welcome; those with little or no poetry writing experience are especially encouraged.  For exact times and locations, fees, enrollment procedures, and other logistics, please see the Sitka Center website or contact the Center at: info@sitkacenter.org or 541-994-5485.  For details about workshop content, call or email Sarah Rabkin at 831-475-7548 or srabkin@ucsc.edu.
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.  Limited to six participants. In addition, she offers the following writing retreats: • June 13-16, 2008 at the Hermitage in Big Sur. Three nights, $330, two openings. • October 24-27, 2008 Mission San Antonio. Three nights, $350. • December 12-15, 2008 at the Hermitage in Big Sur. Three nights, $330, two openings.
Patrice Vecchione	• Mapping the Soul: Collage, Poetry and Creativity, a workshop to be held June 29 to July 6 at Esalen Institute during the 2008 Esalen International Arts Festival. Register directly from the Esalen website. • Writing and the Spiritual Life: Finding Your Voice Within, a workshop to be held November 23-28 at Esalen Institute. Register directly from the Esalen website. • For additional information on workshops by Patrice Vecchione, see her website, www.patricevecchione.com Contact Patrice at heartwrd@mbay.net, or 831-394-8459

[return to top] LOOKING AHEAD
Tuesday, June 10 7:30 PM	Chris Kennedy and co-reader to be announced. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.  $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, June 10 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Dan Linehan and Vito Victor.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Tuesday, July 8 7:30 PM	Len Anderson, Kathleen Flowers, Bernice Rendrick and David Allen Sullivan. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.  $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, July 8 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents John Dotson and Ken Weisner.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, August 12 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Kim Li Bui Burton and Patrice Vecchione.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Tuesday, September 9 7:30 PM	Brian Turner and John Brehm. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.  $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, September 9 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents The Front St. Poetry Group: Dan Phillips, Ellen Hart, Kate Aver Avraham, Phil Wagner, John Laue, Bernice Rendrick, Jennifer Lagier, and Laura Bayless.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
Tuesday, October 14 7:30 PM	Laurel Blossom and April Ossmann. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.  $3 donation suggested.  Presented by Poetry Santa Cruz.
2nd Tuesday of each month Tuesday, October 14 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Len Anderson and George Lober.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
2nd Tuesday of each month Sunday, November 9 7:00-9:00 PM	Monterey Bay Poetry Consortium Reading Series presents Charles Atkinson and Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts.  East Village Coffee Lounge, 498 Washington St., Monterey.  $5.
[return to top]