4 to 4:45 PM

Splintered: Parallel Confrontations with Grief

Reading Venue: Sourmilk

  • KJ Norris

  • Blanca Nino

  • Trianne Harabedian Flores

  • La'Tasha Kiongozi

In this reading, poets explore the fractured terrain of grief through layered lenses—rediscovering self and culture, navigating identity in the wake of loss, and wrestling with the complexities of mourning. From familial sorrow to the quiet ache of cultural disconnection, Splintered weaves together parallel narratives that confront what it means to grieve, to reconcile, and ultimately, to reclaim.

Power of Place

Reading Venue: Teazers World Market

Linnea Alexander

  • Jack Chavoor

  • Will Freeney

  • Dani Potter

Place could arguably be one of the most significant forces in shaping our identities. What country, state, or city we call home contributes to the way we think of ourselves and how others perceive us. Our understanding of this concept is often layered, ambivalent or nostalgic. We may identify with more than one place. We may still be searching for someplace that feels like home. Place includes geography, weather, people, language, and elements difficult to quantify like opportunity and acceptance. Our readers will explore how the settings of our lives provide the backdrop for who we are.

Works of the Central Valley Fiction Writers - II

Reading Venue: Spectrum Art Gallery

  • Rhonda Herb

  • Janell Coberly

  • Alice McMurry

  • Roh Morgon

Selected readings from published works by members of the Fresno-based Central Valley Fiction Writers: “Deadly Relations” by Rhonda Herb; "The Bubble" by Janell Coberly; “Friction Strikes a Light Within” by Alice McMurry; and "Monster" by Roh Morgon. This is one of two reading presentations by the Central Valley Fiction Writers.

Rompiendo con la Tóxica

Reading Venue: Hart's Haven Used Bookstore

  • Alberto Saldaña Uribe

  • Cristina Sandoval

  • Andy Marin Contreras

  • Michael Cantu

Four poets explore the feelings of desire and rejection, striving for a better future and the realities of being Latino in America in 2025. In the midst of a boom of consumerism and borderline obsession with Latina/o culture and brown bodies, the abuse, policing, and nearly constant demonstrations of violence remain prevalent. You can’t love the culture and not love and support its people

Royale With Cheese: A Reading by Fresno State English Faculty

Reading Venue: Tower Yoga: Lotus Room

  • Steven Church

  • Brenna Womer

  • Samina Najmi

  • Venita Blackburn

Oppositional Gazes: Contemporary Community Issues through the BIPOC female gaze

Reading Venue: Goldstein’s

  • Amelia Holguin

  • Kaylynn Holt

  • Antonia Cardinale

  • Juana Santana

BIPOC women have long inhabited multisectional identities that provide them with unique vantage points within their communities and societies. In this heartfelt reading, four you women writers will traverse the depths of the female experience to offer us their perspectives on today's turmoil and the issues they see confronting their communities, asserting what Maya Angelou writes: "Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women."

Regrettable Truths (Plus addiitonal pieces)

Reading Venue: Cell Pros

  • Deborah Mechele Bento

  • Dawn Parker

  • Steven James Sandage

  • Katie Quigley

Trapped in a crowded ER, she watches the man she once loved—now dying, bitter, and broken—slip further away. As his body fails, the past unravels: missed chances, haunting regrets, and a love surrendered in the name of sacrifice. She can’t change what was, but maybe she can still offer comfort—if not forgiveness. A visceral, heartbreaking story of enduring love, loss, and the devastating cost of choices made with the best of intentions.

A reckoning decades in the making—and the ache of words never spoken.