On the 7/24/24 edition of Dr.Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Leanne Schwartz describes how she crafts her emotional, complex, and visceral young adult novels while still hitting her assigned deadlines. She shares a sample from her book A Darker Shore.. Stella Beratlis discusses how her career as a librarian informs her poetic verse, detailing how she often reads obscure reference books to inspire poetic ideas. She argues that poets can use their toolkits to write unique historical fictions, and shares a poem about a founding father of California’s central valley visiting current day Modesto, California. Dave Nachmanoff gives the scoop about his upcoming event at Watermelon Music where he will be playing his first album Candy Shower all the way though, and then reads a sequence of short James Joyce poems.

Leanne Schwartz is the author of the young adult fantasies A Prayer for Vengeance and To a Darker Shore and the adult contemporary romcom My Kind of Trouble, writing as L.A. Schwartz. When she’s not teaching English and poetry, she can be found baking pizzelle, directing scenes for the student Shakespeare festival, and singing along to showtunes. She lives in San Diego with her family.

Stella Beratlis is the author of Dust Bowl Venus (Sixteen Rivers Press, 2021). Her first collection, Alkali Sink, was shortlisted for the 2016 Northern California Book Awards. Beratlis served as Modesto’s poet laureate from 2016-2020, co-curates a long-running reading series for the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, and works as a community college librarian.

Dave Nachmanoff is a guitar virtuoso with a doctorate in philosophy, who performed with Libba Cotten as a child, and went on to tour for years with singer-songwriter Al Stewart. After playing thousands of shows from house concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, Nachmanoff has built a loyal fan base and a unique niche as a performing songwriter. SingOut! has praised his “heartfelt, inspired songwriting … with a delivery both biting and assured.” Just Plain Folks honored him with the 2001 Songwriter of the Year award, and his songs have been recognized by many regional and national songwriting competitions. In 2023, Dave began to work with a couple of wonderful musicians called The Usual Culprits from Davis, CA.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host is Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on X at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 7/17/24 edition of Dr.Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas discusses managing the overlapping releases of her two new books. She describes what inspired the titles of her new releases, and the reasoning behind splitting her new collection A Shared and Sacred Space half into formal verse and half into free verse. She then shares a poem from each collection, “The History of Soup” from A Shared and Sacred Space and “The Day I was a Visiting Second Grade Teacher” from A Handful of Stallions at Twilight. Rina Wakefield talks about her lifelong infatuation with poetry and literature, and the connection she feels with words themselves. She recounts balancing her love for libraries, archiving, writing, and platforming diverse voices. Rina then shares a poem titled “DNA.”

Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas lives in the Sierra Foothills, Ca. She recently received her MFA in poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She’s a 13-time Pushcart Prize nominee and a seven-time Best of the Net nominee. In 2021 her book Alice in Ruby Slippers was shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize in Poetry. She has served as the Editor-in-Chief for both the Orchards Poetry and Tule Review.

Rina Wakefield is a Spoken Word Poet, Podcast Producer, Poetry/Storytelling event Producer/Host. She is a collaborating member of Myrtle Tree Arts from Northern California. Rina is a Master’s Degree candidate studying Library Science with a focus on Rare Book Curation and Cultural Archives from San Jose State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from Sacramento State University.

The Poetry Night Reading Series is excited to feature an evening with poets Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas and Rina Wakefield at 7 PM on Thursday, July 18th, 2024, on the first floor of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street in Davis.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on X at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 7/3/24 edition of Dr.Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Susan Kelly-DeWitt discusses her various inspirations for her new book Frangible Operas, citing loss and aging as two thematic pillars for the collection. Susan also gives an insight into her writing process, then reads a poem about her adolescence in Oahu, titled “Poem After The War.” She read two more pieces, “Teaching Poetry in Prison,” and “Confluence,” while also elaborating on the validity of answering questions with poems. Michelle Bitting cites California native Joan Didion and Polish scientist Marie Curie as muses for her new book Dummy Ventriloquist, and describes how she tries to embrace ventriloquizing speech in her poetics. Michelle talks about a multitude of topics ranging from Oingo Boingo to science experiments in her garage, and reads a poem called “For Phil.” She also describes watching LA change over the years, and the importance of discovery drafts.

Susan Kelly-DeWitt is a former Wallace Stegner Fellow and the author of Frangible Operas, which came out from Gunpowder Press this summer, 2024. She is also the author of Gravitational Tug, Gatherer’s Alphabet, Spider Season, The Fortunate Islands, and a number of other collections. Her past professional and writing life includes having been a reviewer for Library Journal, the editor-in-chief of the online journal Perihelion, the Program Director of the Sacramento Poetry Center and the Women’s Wisdom Arts Program, a Poet in the Schools and a Poet in the Prisons, a blogger for Coal Hill Review, and a longtime instructor for the UC Davis Division of Continuing Education. She is currently a member of the National Book Critics Circle, the Northern California Book Reviewers Association and a contributing editor for Poetry Flash. Please visit her website at www.susankelly-dewitt.com

Michelle Bitting was short-listed for the 2023 CRAFT Character Sketch Challenge, 2020 Montreal International Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the 2021 Coniston Prize and 2020 Reed Magazine Edwin Markham Prize. She is the author of five poetry collections, including Nightmares & Miracles, winner of the Wilder Prize and recently named one of Kirkus Reviews 2022 Best of Indie. Her chapbook Dummy Ventriloquist is being published this July from C & R Press. Recent poetry appears on The Slowdown, Thrush, Cleaver, The Poetry Society of New York’s Milk Press, and is featured as Poem of the Week in The Missouri Review. Bitting holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Mythological Studies, emphasis Poetry and Psychology. She is writing a novel that centers around Los Angeles and her great grandmother, stage and screen actor Beryl Mercer, and is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and Literature at Loyola Marymount University.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series. Our next Poetry is on July 18 featuring Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas and Rina Wakefield!

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 7/3/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Dorinda Wegener discusses the growth and organization of her newly released collection, Four Fields. She shares a poem written for her father. Much of her work begins with an image from the natural wold, and frequently helps her process pain. Wegener then reads a poem she wrote for her daughter as she was growing up. Rina Palumbo hones her love for the experimental into the curation process of the journal Third Street Review, a publication she founded. She explains a recent project that coordinates her interests by telling two stories in one novel. She also elaborates on the difficulties that arise when attempting to write historical fiction as someone with a PhD in History, as she has to suspend her knowledge of what was possible during periods. She reads some of a piece called “One Half of Newton's First Law.”

Dorinda Wegener is a Poets & Writers Magazine 2024 Get The Word Out Poetry Cohort Participant. Her debut collection, Four Fields, launched in July 2024. Wegener has work, poems or essays, in LitHub, The Antioch Review, THRUSH, Mid-American Review, Indiana Review, Hotel Amerika, Hayden’s Ferry Review and Hunger Mountain. She is a Perianesthesia Certified Registered Nurse in Richmond, VA, who holds an MFA in Poetry from New England College, where she was a Joel Oppenheimer Award Recipient. You can find her on the web at www.dorindawegener.com

Rina Palumbo (she/her) is working on a novel and two nonfiction long-form writing projects alongside short fiction, creative nonfiction, and prose poetry. Her work appears in The Hopkins Review, Ghost Parachute, Milk Candy, Bending Genres, Anti-Heroin Chic, Identity Theory, Stonecoast Review, et al. https://rinapalumbowriter.com/

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series, with support from Helaina Flores and Cami Rothmuller.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 6/26/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Todd Cirillo discusses how his residence in New Orleans shapes his creativity and writing style. He then shares a poem. Cirillo elaborates on the creation of his newest book Disposable Darlings, and its careful design. He then reads two more poems from this selection. Dr.Andy closes out the episode by reading some of the writing he posts on Substack and sharing a Gary Snyder reading.

Todd Cirillo has been called “the best American poet writing clean, honest lines." He is a co-founder of Six Ft. Swells Press and one of the originators of the After-Hours Poetry movement. He is sought after as an editor and performer and has worked on numerous collections for poets and writers. Todd is widely recognized for his performances. He has read from Jack Kerouac's On the Road to the accompaniment of famed musician, David Amram, performed at the infamous Bukowski Festival in Long Beach, CA, and been featured in Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, New York City, New Orleans, Paris, beaches, barrooms and back alleys. His books include; ​Kisses From A Straight Razor, Three For the Road, Burning the Evidence; Sucker’s Paradise; ROXY; Sexy Devils; Everybody Knows the Dice are Loaded; This Troubled Heart; Still a Party; Tonight, You’re Coming Home with Us, and his poems have appeared in numerous national and international literary journals, magazines such as The New Laurel Review, Trumpet, The Poetry Box, Verse on the Vine, Lummox Press, Sacramento Voices, Red Fez, and on cocktail napkins everywhere.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series, with support from Helaina Flores and Cami Rothmuller.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 6/19/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Bob Stanley elaborates on how his ventures inspire his poetry and shares a poem about his travels with his wife Joyce. Autumn Newman explains how curating personal challenges through an Instagram poetry community has helped her as a writer. She then reads a poem titled “Shame.” Maria Steinhauser describes the process of running a 100 mile race and how running has granted her time to wander amidst the natural environment. She reads a poem called “Old Growth Redwood Groves.” She closes out the podcast by discussing her runs with students during PE and the inspiration she draws from Louise Glück and Ada Limón.

Bob Stanley studied poetry at Caltech and UCLA, and taught English and Creative Writing at Solano College, Sac City College, and Sacramento State University before retiring in 2021. President of Sacramento Poetry Center for a record 12 years, Bob has organized hundreds of poetry events, and he served as Sacramento Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2012. He has edited two anthologies: Late Peaches (2013), and Sometimes in the Open (2009). Bob’s poetry collections include Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger (Rattlesnake Press, 2009), Eleven Blue Strings (little m press, 2012), Miracle Shine (CW Books, 2013) and the e-chapbook November Sun (Random Lane Press, 2022). Bob lives in Sacramento with his wife, Joyce Hsiao, and they run online poetry seminars that help support small nonprofits. Bob’s newest collection of poems, Language Barrier, has just been published by CW Books in June 2024.

Autumn Newman writes poetry and book reviews. Her work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Colorado Review, CALYX Press, Pleiades and River Heron Review, among others. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her chapbook, A Flower Burst Open, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.

Maria Steinhauser is a middle school English and History teacher and has an MFA in poetry. She spends her free time running on trails and in wilderness backcountry, which she uses as inspiration for her poetry. She has also recently been enjoying reading her poetry and listening to other poets read at open mics such as Poetry in Davis and the Silver Lining in Sacramento.

The Poetry Night Reading Series is excited to feature an evening with Sacramento poet laureate Bob Stanley at 7 PM on Thursday, June 20th, 2024, on the first floor of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street in Davis. On the release of his new book, Language Barrier, Bob Stanley will be reading with Sacramento poets Autumn Newman and, a fan favorite, Lawrence Dinkins.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 6/12/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

William Hartwick describes his latest publication, The Invisible Backpack: A Life of Courage, as a product of healing. It is a combination of three journals that showcase his signature rhythmic writing. He then reads two poems from his book. Tim Kahl explains the role of music in his poetic background, including using sound design to support his poems. He then reads a poem titled, “The Map of Prediction.” Kahl concludes the episode by sharing more information about the Sacramento Poetry Alliance Reading Series.

William L. Hartwick was born and raised in Crescent City, California, the northern tip of the great state, the last incorporated city in California before Oregon. It’s the home of the Smith River and the giant redwoods, a beautiful place for a little boy to grow up and become the man he is today. He’s retired from a 30-year career as an educator, teaching first grade and serving as an elementary school principal. He now lives in Phoenix, Arizona pursuing his dreams as a motivational speaker and author.

Tim Kahl is the author of Possessing Yourself (CW Books, 2009), The Century of Travel (CW Books, 2012), The String of Islands (Dink, 2015), Omnishambles (Bald Trickster, 2019) and Drips, Spills, Bursts, Tangles, and Washes (Cold River Press, 2024). His work has been published in many journals in the U.S. and abroad. He is also editor of Clade Song. He is the vice president and events coordinator of The Sacramento Poetry Alliance. He plays flutes, guitars, ukuleles, charangos and cavaquinhos. He currently teaches at California State University, Sacramento, where he sings lieder while walking on campus between classes.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series, with support from Helaina Flores and Cami Rothmuller.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 6/5/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Joe Mills states his perspective on generative AI in poetry and his upcoming summer class called “Living Poetry.” Mills explains his writing methods, the importance of giving yourself time as a writer, and the relative effectiveness of morning pages. He then reads a poem about democracy. Connie Post reads a poem from her chapbook Broken Metronome. Post discusses the influence of poetry on younger generations and expresses her feelings about climate change. She then reads a poem about wildfires. Dr. Andy concludes the episode with a touching poem in honor of Davis Breaux.

A faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Joseph Mills holds the Susan Burress Wall Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities and was honored with a 2017 UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. His work includes poetry, fiction, drama, and criticism. He has published seven volumes of poetry with Press 53: Bodies in Motion; Exit, pursued by a bear; This Miraculous Turning, Sending Christmas Cards to Huck and Hamlet; Love and Other Collisions; Angels, Thieves, and Winemakers, and Somewhere During the Spin Cycle. His current project is titled The Holiday Cycle.

Connie Post’s work has appeared in Calyx, Slipstream, Comstock Review, 2 River, American Journal of Poetry, River Styx, Spoon River Poetry Review, Slippery Elm, and Verse Daily. Her poetry awards include the Liakoura Award and Crab Creek Poetry Award. Her full-length collections include Floodwater, Prime Meridian and Between Twilight. Between Twilight was a finalist in the 2023 Best Book Awards. Her 2023 chapbook, Broken Metronome has been nominated for 5 book awards and won the American Fiction award for a chapbook.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is made possible by Katerina Hanks, producer of The Poetry Night Reading Series, with support from Helaina Flores and Cami Rothmuller.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.