LitHop 2022 - Schedule of Readings
Saturday, October 15th

3 to 3:45 PM

The Poets' Terroir
Reading Venue: Fresbrew (21 and over)

Victor Trejo, Angela Chaidez Vincent, Kirk Stone, Megan Anderson Bohigian 

Four poets explore the intersections of place and poetry, the landscapes that become our personal geographies–how we walk their paths and are shaped by them, how we translate our personal terroir into wordscapes that imbue our poems. 

Central Valley Writers Collective
Reading Venue: Hart’s Haven Used Bookstore    

Albert Valencia (he/him), Guadalupe Friaz (she/her), Juan Flores (he/him), Albert Valencia (he/him) 

Within the barrios of Watts, Compton, and Pico/Union in Los Angeles with poverty, racism, gangs, drugs, and violence all around me the whispers of a future drew me onto a path that is confusing, frustrating, but hopeful. Writing down stories as small swatches of a few words written on paper napkins, newspapers, and on scratch paper. As time passed I wrote on an ironing board, on the floor, in darkened rooms, and in the end I always felt better. The stories became my autobiography, Latin Boy Shuffle, it helped me to find forgiveness and resolution. 

!Speaking Axolotl; El Fresno Edition!
Reading Venue: Labyrinth Art Collective   

Josiah Luis Alderete (he/him), Hector son of Hector (he/him), Mimi Tempestt (she/they), Rosie Angelica Alonso 

Speaking Axolotl, La Area Bahia's long running Latinx monthly reading series and open mic, brings San Pancho y Oakland poetas to Fresno soil for a beautiful evening of Spanglish Flor Y Canto, Pocho Poesia, and Latinx Cuentos. Poetas include Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta (author; The Easy Body y La Movida), Hector Son Of Hector, Mimi Tempestt (author The Monumental Misrememberings), and Josiah Luis Alderete (author Baby Axolotls & Old Pochos). 

Crossing Fields: Coming to Creative Nonfiction from Different Directions
Reading Venue: The Revue (Backroom)
    
Steven Church (he/him), Brynn Saito (she/her), Alison Mandaville (she/her), Charles Radke (he/him) 

Four writers with personal, professional, or academic backgrounds in another field or discipline share their creative nonfiction work on family, history, and the sublime or wonderous moments of everyday lives. 

Relax!
Reading Venue: Splash Fresno  (21 and over)

Linnea Alexander, Armen Bacon, Phyllis Brotherton, Corrinne Clegg Hales 

Ellen Bass in her poem, “Relax,” relates the Buddhist story of a woman, chased by a tiger, who comes to a cliff. Forced to climb down a vine, she also sees a tiger below, and is faced with how to survive this dilemma. The poem begins, "Bad things are going to happen./Your tomatoes will grow a fungus/and your cat will get run over." Four accomplished women authors, septuagenarians all, read new works from their journey thus far. With themes of joy and loss, loves and laments, all vowing to, as the story goes, “Eat the strawberry.” 

The Uncanny Valleys: Asian Pacific Islander & Latinx • e Dispatches from the Two Californias
Reading Venue: Spectrum Art Gallery    

Lisa Lee Herrick (she/her), Joseph Rios (he/him), Janice Lobo Sapigao (she/her), Von Torres (he/him/his) 

Writers who love and work in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley read work straddling East and West of Interstate 5: slick Silicon Valley versus hard-scrabble Central Valley. 

Place and Belonging: Four MoSt Poets
Reading Venue: Teazers     

Gillian Wegener (she/her/hers), Linda Scheller (she/her/hers), Gary Thomas (he/him/his), Stella Beratlis (she/her/hers) 

Four founding board members of the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center (MoSt Poetry) will read poetry of place and belonging from their published books as well as new work.