3 to 3:45 PM

Punk Poetics

Reading Venue: Fresbrew (810 E Olive Ave)

  • Jennifer Soria (she/her)

  • Tauri (she/her/he/him/they/ella)

  • Nikolai Garcia (he/him)

  • soledad con carne (he/they)

Four Latinx readers, from throughout different parts of California, will hit the stage to unleash the rage, politics, fashion, and sound that are the DNA of punk rock music in the form of poetry. Expect stanzas filled with nostalgia, DIY ethics, a furious soundtrack and a loud energy from these punks turned poets.

Land and Sky

Reading Venue: Fresno Music Academy and Arts: Vista Theatre (1298 N Wishon Ave)

  • Sally Vogl

  • Jim Schmidt

  • Talia Lakshmi Kolluri (she/her)

  • Carole Firstman

Four Central Valley writers will read from work that explores our relationship to the Earth we live on and the stars beyond. The readings will touch our place in the natural world, our personal histories, and our relationship to the wider cosmos.

Health and Well-Being on the Page

Reading Venue: Hart's Haven Used Bookstore (950 N Van Ness Ave)

  • Melanie Kachadoorian (she/her)

  • Alison Mandaville (she/her)

  • Samina Najmi (she/her)

  • René Rodriguez-Astacio (he/his/él)

How do we define the concept of health? Health in body, mind, and spirit; the health of the planet and all its life-forms. Is health, broadly imagined, tied to place? To love and loss? And how does caregiving shape us? How do we sustain ourselves and our writerly lives when our own health or the health of loved ones is compromised? Four Fresno State professors with varied backgrounds, areas of expertise, and global connections grapple with these questions about individual and collective well-being on the page.

From L.Á. to Fresno

Reading Venue: Labyrinth Art Collective (1470 N Van Ness Ave)

  • Brian Dunlap

  • Benin Lemus (she/her)

  • Soul Vang

  • Steven Sanchez

Poets from L.Á. and Fresno come together to share their poetry and to highlight some of the vastness of both communities.

Poetry: Image & Music

Reading Venue: Spectrum Art Gallery (608 E Olive Ave)

  • Kenneth Robert Chacón (he/him/that vato)

  • Curtis Messer

  • Shane Lara Jr.

  • Marcos Dorado

This reading will focus on The Image, both written & visual, as well as contain a musical element, highlighting the important similarities between music & poetry.

The Roots Survive

Reading Venue: Teazers (645 E Olive Ave)

  • Halimah Smith (she/her)

  • Brianna Alvarez (she/they)

  • Peter Garza (he/him)

  • Sean Andersen (he/him)

These four writers met in early undergrad, connected, and forged their bonds through the love of writing until life separated them. Over the last five years what has remained constant is their dedication to craft and transformation. Through these readings, they share stories of growth, stagnation, decay, and rebirth. Each reader will showcase their interpretations of the natural seasons—the victories, regrets, losses, and gains, what has been cultivated and what has been left unsown.

BCE: Big Cosmic Energy

Reading Venue: The Alchemist (1306 N Wishon Ave)

  • Juan Luis Guzman

  • Liz Scheid

  • Apryl Lewis

  • Shane Moreman

During an annular solar eclipse, the moon is smaller than the sun, leaving a blacked-out circle and fiery rim, called the “ring of fire.” On this day, four writers embrace the fire, diving headfirst into the supernatural world of zodiac whirlwinds, channeling their inner Barbies and big cosmic energy.

Asking Hard and Healing Questions: The Writing Challenge

Reading Venue: Tower Yoga: The Lotus Room (626 E Olive Ave)

  • Mas Masumoto (he/his)

  • Mark Arax

  • Felipe Mercado

  • Nikiko Masumoto (she/her)

Great writing begins with hard questions and may result in discovering a healing soul. Four authors - Mas Masumoto, Mark Arax, Felipe Mercado and Nikiko Masumoto - will share the story behind the story and explore this topic of questions. Each writer comes from a different background, age, community and perspective which will lead to an engaging exchange about nature and human nature, family and community, perspective and politics which have shaped our stories and valley. This promises to be a captivating and alluring exploration into how writers think and the stories we hope to share - and sometimes hide.