Theresa Whitehill • Poet

Fort Bragg Library Poetry Open Mic
2024-06-06 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-05-02 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-04-04 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Fort Bragg Library Meeting Room, 499 East Laurel Street, FORT BRAGG, CA, 95437, United States
First Thursday Poetry Open Mic in Fort Bragg, CA has returned to meeting in person. You can also attend this event via Zoom.
Since the library is a crossroads and we want to reduce risk of illness, we still ask you to wear masks while you’re in the audience. Wear a sweater because we need to ventilate the room well. When you’re at podium reading poems, you won’t need a mask.
We ask that you keep your reading under 10 minutes and stick to poetry in all its variety of forms.
To receive an invitation to the Zoom reading, or for more information, contact Dan Hess, Branch Librarian (info in Organizer section below).

Devreaux Baker - Poet Laureate Presentation to Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
2024-06-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Supervisors Chambers, 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
Devreaux Baker has been announced as Mendocino County’s first Poet Laureate.
The new Poet Laureate will be formally acknowledged at the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 9 am.

Rhythm Running River on KZYX Public Radio
2024-06-02 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-19 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-05 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-21 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-04-07 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-03-17 15:00 - 17:00 | KZYX & Z, 88.1, 90.7, & 91.5 FM, 9300 HWY 128, Philo, CA, 95466, United States
Rhythm Running River poetry programming every 1st Sunday and every 3rd Sunday from 3 to 5 pm on KZYX&Z Public Radio, 90.7, 91.5, and 88.1 FM with host Dan Roberts.
For playlists, visit Rhythm Running River on Out Far Press. Stream the audio here.

Diane Pendola, Writers Read Ukiah
2024-05-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Grace Hudson Museum Community Room, 431 South Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
Writers Read Ukiah last Thursday poetry series will meet on Thursday, May 30, at 7 PM at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah. The featured reader is Diane Pendola of Nevada County.
Open mic session will follow the featured reading. Maximum time for each reader is six minutes. Event will end at 9 PM.
For Information, contact Writers Read Ukiah MC Michael Riedell, innisfreeriedell@gmail.com
Writers Read happens on the last Thursday of almost every month and has been happening in Ukiah since 1999. This reading series is sponsored by Colored Horse Studios, Michael Riedell, Dan Barth, the Poet Laureate Committee of Ukiah, the Grace Hudson Museum and donations. Since the start of 2023, donations have not been keeping up with expenses. Please consider a one-time or once-a-year larger than usual donation to help us keep this reading series going. Contact Michael—innisfreeriedell @gmail.com—if you can help. Thanks.

Theresa Whitehill, Mendocino Poetry Series
2024-05-25 16:00 - 18:00 | Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA, 95460, United States
Mendocino Poetry Series
Featured reader will be Theresa Whitehill, along with open mic
Last Saturday of each month
4 to 6 pm
Barth Studio at the Mendocino Art Center
45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA 95460
Format: live, in person
Contact: Devreaux Baker, dbaker@mcn.org
At the beginning of 2024, Devreaux Baker inaugurated a new reading series in Mendocino on the last Saturday of each month. Anyone who is interested in being added to her mailing list in order to receive announcements of future readings should contact her directly at dbaker@mcn.org.

POSTPONED: Chico event, Felicia Rice & Theresa Whitehill: Heavy Lifting, Listening Tour
2024-05-19 15:00 - 17:00 | 1078 Gallery, 1710 Park Avenue, Chico, CA, 95928
The Heavy Lifting Listening Tour in Chico, originally scheduled at the 1078 Gallery in Chico on Sunday, May 19 at 3 pm has been postponed until October 2024; a new date will be available soon. To check the latest tour dates, see the Moving Parts Press website: https://movingpartspress.com/publications/heavy-lifting-listening-tour/.
The Heavy Lifting Listening Tour aspires to offer opportunities for healing, and dreaming, through dialogue. An introduction to the project opens a display of the artists’ book and of the experimental film, On Heavy Lifting, that accompanies the book. This is followed by a conversation between poet Theresa Whitehill and the audience in which she alternates reading her poems with an invitation for audience members to read their own work or share brief stories in response to the themes and material.
It kicks off in March 2023 in Caspar and will occur monthly in communities impacted by the wildfires throughout northern California in 2023.

To learn more about the entire Heavy Lifting Project, see https://theresawhitehill.com/books-broadsides/heavy-lifting/
To see the full lineup of events for the Heavy Listening Tour, see: https://theresawhitehill.com/books-broadsides/heavy-lifting/#About-Tour

Amie Whitmore, LOBA Poetry Series at the Ukiah Library
2024-05-18 15:00 - 16:00 | Ukiah Branch Library, 105 North Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
LOBA POETRY SERIES
Monthly Poet Features & Open Mic

Join Ukiah Branch Library staff as we host in-person poetry events on the third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. This free event is open to both teens & adults – all are invited to share poems in any form or style, or just listen to others.

On May 18, 2024, we welcome poet, Amie Whitmore.

Please contact the Ukiah Branch Library at 707-463-4490 or carrm@mendocinocounty.gov for more information.

SERIE DE POESÍA LOBA
Funciones mensuales de poeta y micrófono abierto

Únase al personal de la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah mientras organizamos eventos de poesía en persona el tercer sábado de cada mes a las 3 p.m. Este evento gratuito está abierto tanto a adolescentes como a adultos; todos están invitados a compartir poemas en cualquier forma o estilo, o simplemente escuchar a otros.

El 18 de mayo de 2024, damos la bienvenida al poeta, Amie Whitmore.

Comuníquese con la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah al 707-463-4490 o carrm@mendocinocounty.gov para obtener más información.

David Partch Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz - hybrid event
2024-05-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Think Visual Gallery, 240 Main Street, Point Arena, 95468, United States
On Thursday, May 16, at 7pm The Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz Reading Series will feature David Partch.

The reading will take place at Think Visual Gallery (as well as virtually via Zoom), located at 240 Main Street in Point Arena. Doors open at 7pm, event begins at 7:15pm. BYOE (everything including a chair!). The reading will begin with live improv jazz, followed by a featured reading, then an open mic with jazz improv, and finally the reading will conclude with more live improv jazz. Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz is supported by The Third Thursday Poetry Group, many anonymous donors, and Poets & Writers, Inc.
To receive an invitation to the Zoom reading, or for more information, contact Blake More (info below).

Poetry At The Cobalt
2024-05-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Cobalt Gallery, 430 Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA, 95437, United States
THIS IS AN INVITATION TO ALL POETS, WRITERS, READERS, AND LOVERS OF LITERATURE, YOUNG, OLD, IN BETWEEN, KNOWN, UNKNOWN, SUBMERGED, EMERGED AND EMERGING: Rhyming, free verse, expensive or expansive verse, reverses, metered, learned, unlearned, experimental—all varieties, styles and non-styles are welcome.
The reading series, Poetry At The Cobalt, formerly Poetry On The River, has relocated to the beautiful Cobalt Gallery on Main Street in downtown Fort Bragg, thanks to Button Quinn, artist and gallery owner who has graciously made the space available to us. The readings are now the 2nd Sunday of the month, 5–7 pm. The next reading at the Cobalt Gallery will be Sunday, May 12, featured poets (TBA) will read in the first hour, followed by open mic readings. The featured readers read for 15–20 minutes, and the open mic poets have 5 minutes each (or more depending on how many readers show up!). Please get this around far and wide, as we’d like to reach all over Mendocino County and beyond. Any suggestions or ideas you have, including other people to invite, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you Sunday, May 12, 5–7 pm, at the Cobalt Gallery.
PEGASUS SOARS NO MATTER WHAT,
Larry Felson & and Joe Smith
510-684-8270

Starlight Lounge: Long Form Open Reading
2024-05-11 19:00 - 21:30 | Starlight Lounge, Willits Community Theatre, 37 W Van Lane, Willits, CA, 95490, United States
The Willits Community Theatre will host a “long form” open reading at the Playhouse on Saturday, May 11. The reading will begin at 7 P.M.
In this reading, the time limit will be pushed outward to 15 minutes. According to event coordinator Mike A’Dair, that means that poets may read longer works.
“A lot of times, poets are forced by the shorter time constraints of most readings to read short poems or a number of short poems. This longer time limit will allow poets to read poems that they rarely are given an opportunity to read in public. I hope local poets will take advantage of this opportunity,” A’Dair said.
He added that poets may read a large number of shorter poems if they wish to.
Entry to this reading is by donation; however no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. This reading is sponsored by the Willits Community Theatre’s 2024 season underwriters NC Financial Group and The Sparetime Garden Center. The WCT Playhouse is located at 37 Van Lane in beautiful downtown Willits.

Spirit of Place: call for submissions to new anthology of Mendocino County women poets
2024-05-01, 2024-04-01
Call for Submissions
The first Anthology of Women Poets of Mendocino County, Wood, Water, Air and Fire was published in 1999. We are calling for submissions for Volume II, Spirit of Place.
Submissions are open March 1st, 2024 to June 1st 2024.
We welcome all themes that respond to the Spirit of Place by women poets who have lived, are living or have participated in the writer’s community of where we live with poems that respond to the Spirit of Place focus.
We are accepting 1 to 3 poems, no longer than two pages per poem. Please format your poems in Times New Roman, 12 pt., single space in Word Doc and send to poetryanthology2@gmail.com
If you do not have access to the internet you can send hard copies to:
Spirit of Place
Post Office Box 287
Mendocino, California 95460
If you do not hear from us by September 15, 2024 please e-mail us at
poetryanthology2@gmail.com
Each published poet will receive a contributor’s copy.
With Gratitude,
Co-editors
Devreaux Baker, Kate Dougherty and Georgina Marie Guardado

2024 ukiaHaiku Festival
2024-04-28 | Ukiah Civic Center, 300 Seminary Ave, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
As the New Year approaches, we hope you might find time to enter the 22nd ukiaHaiku Festival contest. Residents of Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, and Humboldt counties, from kindergarten age through adult, can enter haiku in ten different categories (two for Spanish). There is also one category open to planet Earth, the Jane Reichhold International Award. Writing haiku, one of the simplest and most accessible forms of poetry, gives you a chance to capture and reflect upon being present in a special moment of experience.

There will be a celebration of winning haiku on April 28th, 2024 at the Civic Center Council Chambers where we invite winners to attend and read their haiku. Winners will receive awards, including gift certificates to local bookstores. We will also produce a publication of the winning haiku.

In recognition that the Pomo People are the original inhabitants of Mendocino County and that the name Ukiah itself is from a Pomo language, this year, we are making an open call to our Pomo neighbors to share haiku that are in Pomo languages or express a Pomo perspective. (These can be written in English, Spanish and Pomo Languages, with English translations.)

Haiku submissions can be made on our website: www.ukiahaiku.org

The website also has information on writing haiku including advice from the late Jane Reichhold (a haiku scholar), in her videoed lesson for local teachers (see “resources” at the bottom of the website page). These resources are intended to help show what our judges are looking for in a haiku.

If you have any questions, please contact Colter Jacobsen at Ukiahaikufestival@gmail.com or 415-832-0978.
If you prefer to submit haiku via snail mail, there are entry forms at the Mendocino County Library in Ukiah. Or you can print a pdf from our website and send it to:

ukiaHaiku Festival
Mendocino County Library
105 N Main St
Ukiah, CA 95482

Both online and snail mail submissions must be postmarked by February 8th.

Visit the website for more information and to read more winning haiku from previous festivals.
I hope you will participate with entries and come join the celebration!

Sincerely,
Melissa Eleftherion Carr
Ukiah Poet Laureate Emeritus 2021-2023

The ukiaHaiku Festival Youth Outreach was awarded a grant by the California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities and sponsored by North Coast Opportunities.

instagram: @ukiahaikufestival

Riantee Rand & Larry Felson, Mendocino Poetry Series
2024-04-27 16:00 - 18:00 | Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA, 95460, United States
A new poetry reading series on the coast:
Mendocino Poetry Series
Featured readers will be Riantee Rand and Larry Felson, along with open mic
Last Saturday of each month
4 to 6 pm
Barth Studio at the Mendocino Art Center
45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA 95460
Format: live, in person
Contact: Devreaux Baker, dbaker@mcn.org
Devreaux Baker will be producing a new reading series in Mendocino on the last Saturday of each month beginning Saturday, January 27, 2024. Anyone who is interested in being added to her mailing list in order to receive announcements of future readings should contact her directly at dbaker@mcn.org.

Haiku Night, Writers Read Ukiah
2024-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Grace Hudson Museum Community Room, 431 South Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
Writers Read Ukiah last Thursday poetry series will meet on Thursday, April 25, at 7 PM at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah. This month will feature a presentation on haiku and other short forms.
Open mic session will follow the featured reading. Maximum time for each reader is six minutes. Event will end at 9 PM.
For Information, contact Writers Read Ukiah MC Michael Riedell, innisfreeriedell@gmail.com
Writers Read happens on the last Thursday of almost every month and has been happening in Ukiah since 1999. This reading series is sponsored by Colored Horse Studios, Michael Riedell, Dan Barth, the Poet Laureate Committee of Ukiah, the Grace Hudson Museum and donations. Since the start of 2023, donations have not been keeping up with expenses. Please consider a one-time or once-a-year larger than usual donation to help us keep this reading series going. Contact Michael—innisfreeriedell @gmail.com—if you can help. Thanks.

Felicia Rice & Theresa Whitehill: Heavy Lifting, Listening Tour
2024-04-21 16:00 - 18:00 | The White Barn, 2727 Sulphur Springs Avenue, St. Helena, CA, 94574, United States
The Heavy Lifting Listening Tour is coming to The White Barn in St. Helena on Sunday, April 21 at 4 pm. For venue information, contact info@thewhitebarn.org.
The Heavy Lifting Listening Tour aspires to offer opportunities for healing, and dreaming, through dialogue. An introduction to the project opens a display of the artists’ book and of the experimental film, On Heavy Lifting, that accompanies the book. This is followed by a conversation between poet Theresa Whitehill and the audience in which she alternates reading her poems with an invitation for audience members to read their own work or share brief stories in response to the themes and material.
It kicks off in March 2023 in Caspar and will occur monthly in communities impacted by the wildfires throughout northern California in 2023.

To learn more about the entire Heavy Lifting Project, see https://theresawhitehill.com/books-broadsides/heavy-lifting/
To see the full lineup of events for the Heavy Listening Tour, see: https://theresawhitehill.com/books-broadsides/heavy-lifting/#About-Tour

Sally Ashton, LOBA Poetry Series at the Ukiah Library
2024-04-20 15:00 - 16:00 | Ukiah Branch Library, 105 North Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
LOBA POETRY SERIES
Monthly Poet Features & Open Mic

Join Ukiah Branch Library staff as we host in-person poetry events on the third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. This free event is open to both teens & adults – all are invited to share poems in any form or style, or just listen to others.

On April 20, 2024, we welcome poet, Sally Ashton. Former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Sally Ashton is a poet, writer, teacher, and editor-in-chief of DMQ Review, an online journal featuring poetry and art. Publishing in three genres, she is the author of five books of poems including the just-released “Listening to Mars” (Cornerstone Press, 2024) and “The Behaviour of Clocks” (WordFarm, 2019). She taught writing at San José State University for ten years and continues to teach workshops locally, on Zoom, and is currently teaching online through Hugo House. Her prose poem “4.6 Billion Years” will go to the Moon as part of the Lunar Codex project via the Griffin/VIPER mission in 2024. www.sallyashton.com

Please contact the Ukiah Branch Library at 707-463-4490 or carrm@mendocinocounty.gov for more information.

SERIE DE POESÍA LOBA
Funciones mensuales de poeta y micrófono abierto

Únase al personal de la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah mientras organizamos eventos de poesía en persona el tercer sábado de cada mes a las 3 p.m. Este evento gratuito está abierto tanto a adolescentes como a adultos; todos están invitados a compartir poemas en cualquier forma o estilo, o simplemente escuchar a otros.

El 20 de abril de 2024, damos la bienvenida al poeta, Sally Ashton.

Comuníquese con la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah al 707-463-4490 o carrm@mendocinocounty.gov para obtener más información.

Steve Hellman Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz - hybrid event
2024-04-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Think Visual Gallery, 240 Main Street, Point Arena, 95468, United States
On Thursday, April 18, at 7pm The Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz Reading Series will feature Steve Hellman.

The reading will take place at Think Visual Gallery (as well as virtually via Zoom), located at 240 Main Street in Point Arena. Doors open at 7pm, event begins at 7:15pm. BYOE (everything including a chair!). The reading will begin with live improv jazz, followed by a featured reading, then an open mic with jazz improv, and finally the reading will conclude with more live improv jazz. Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz is supported by The Third Thursday Poetry Group, many anonymous donors, and Poets & Writers, Inc.
To receive an invitation to the Zoom reading, or for more information, contact Blake More (info below).

Blake More, Poetry At The Cobalt
2024-04-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Cobalt Gallery, 430 Main Street, Fort Bragg, CA, 95437, United States
THIS IS AN INVITATION TO ALL POETS, WRITERS, READERS, AND LOVERS OF LITERATURE, YOUNG, OLD, IN BETWEEN, KNOWN, UNKNOWN, SUBMERGED, EMERGED AND EMERGING: Rhyming, free verse, expensive or expansive verse, reverses, metered, learned, unlearned, experimental—all varieties, styles and non-styles are welcome.
The reading series, Poetry At The Cobalt, formerly Poetry On The River, has relocated to the beautiful Cobalt Gallery on Main Street in downtown Fort Bragg, thanks to Button Quinn, artist and gallery owner who has graciously made the space available to us. The readings are now the 2nd Sunday of the month, 5–7 pm. The next reading at the Cobalt Gallery will be Sunday, April 14, Blake More, the featured poet, will read in the first hour, followed by open mic readings. The featured readers read for 15–20 minutes, and the open mic poets have 5 minutes each (or more depending on how many readers show up!). Please get this around far and wide, as we’d like to reach all over Mendocino County and beyond. Any suggestions or ideas you have, including other people to invite, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you Sunday, April 14, 5–7 pm, at the Cobalt Gallery.
PEGASUS SOARS NO MATTER WHAT,
Larry Felson & and Joe Smith
510-684-8270

Mendocino Poetry Series - Canceled for March
2024-03-30 16:00 - 18:00 | Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA, 95460, United States
The March reading has been canceled. We’ll see you in April!
A new poetry reading series on the coast:
Mendocino Poetry Series
Featured readers (to be announced) with open mic
Last Saturday of each month
4 to 6 pm
Barth Studio at the Mendocino Art Center
45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, CA 95460
Format: live, in person
Contact: Devreaux Baker, dbaker@mcn.org
Devreaux Baker will be producing a new reading series in Mendocino on the last Saturday of each month beginning Saturday, January 27, 2024. Anyone who is interested in being added to her mailing list in order to receive announcements of future readings should contact her directly at dbaker@mcn.org.

Dear Human at the Edge of Time, Writers Read Ukiah
2024-03-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Grace Hudson Museum Community Room, 431 South Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
Writers Read Ukiah last Thursday poetry series will meet on Thursday, March 28, at 7 PM at the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah.
The featured event will be readings from the anthology, Dear Human at the Edge of Time: Poems on Climate Change in the United States. San Mateo County Poet Laureate Emerita, Aileen Cassineto, one of the book’s contributing poets, will lead the presentation.
Open mic session will follow the featured reading. Poets are encouraged to choose work relating to climate change. Maximum time for each reader is six minutes. Event will end at 9 PM.
For Information, contact Writers Read Ukiah MC Michael Riedell, innisfreeriedell@gmail.com
Writers Read happens on the last Thursday of almost every month and has been happening in Ukiah since 1999. This reading series is sponsored by Colored Horse Studios, Michael Riedell, Dan Barth, the Poet Laureate Committee of Ukiah, the Grace Hudson Museum and donations. Since the start of 2023, donations have not been keeping up with expenses. Please consider a one-time or once-a-year larger than usual donation to help us keep this reading series going. Contact Michael—innisfreeriedell @gmail.com—if you can help. Thanks.

Mike A'Dair Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz - hybrid event
2024-03-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Think Visual Gallery, 240 Main Street, Point Arena, 95468, United States
On Thursday, March 21, at 7pm The Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz Reading Series will feature Mike A’Dair.

The reading will take place at Think Visual Gallery (as well as virtually via Zoom), located at 240 Main Street in Point Arena. Doors open at 7pm, event begins at 7:15pm. BYOE (everything including a chair!). The reading will begin with live improv jazz, followed by a featured reading, then an open mic with jazz improv, and finally the reading will conclude with more live improv jazz. Third Thursday Poetry & Jazz is supported by The Third Thursday Poetry Group, many anonymous donors, and Poets & Writers, Inc.
To receive an invitation to the Zoom reading, or for more information, contact Blake More (info below).

Hilary King, LOBA Poetry Series at the Ukiah Library
2024-03-16 15:00 - 16:00 | Ukiah Branch Library, 105 North Main Street, Ukiah, CA, 95482, United States
LOBA POETRY SERIES
Monthly Poet Features & Open Mic

Join Ukiah Branch Library staff as we host in-person poetry events on the third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. This free event is open to both teens & adults – all are invited to share poems in any form or style, or just listen to others.

On March 16, 2024, we welcome poet, Hilary King. Hilary King was born and raised in Virginia. She lived in Atlanta for over 20 years before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015 with her husband, two children, dog and cat. She worked at Filoli for several years as a student field trip guide and event coordinator, and also served on her city’s arts commission. She is currently a graduate student in the San Jose State MFA Creative Writing program, where she is studying poetry and playwriting. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, SWWIM, Salamander, TAB, DMQ Review, Rogue Agent, Fourth River, Freshwater Review, and other publications. In her free time, she enjoys hiking (of course), going to the theatre, and trying to learn to tap dance.

Please contact the Ukiah Branch Library at 707-463-4490 or carrm@mendocinocounty.gov for more information.

SERIE DE POESÍA LOBA
Funciones mensuales de poeta y micrófono abierto

Únase al personal de la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah mientras organizamos eventos de poesía en persona el tercer sábado de cada mes a las 3 p.m. Este evento gratuito está abierto tanto a adolescentes como a adultos; todos están invitados a compartir poemas en cualquier forma o estilo, o simplemente escuchar a otros.

El 16 de marzo de 2024, damos la bienvenida al poeta, Hilary King.

Comuníquese con la biblioteca sucursal de Ukiah al 707-463-4490 o carrm@mendocinocounty.gov para obtener más información.
