Incredibly honored to be in the special all women’s edition of Indiana Voice Journal, featuring all female authors and artists. They have included three poems of mine, “What I Mean When I Say Run”, “Girl in Flight”, and “Love Letter No. 3: To My Mending Self”, each of which displays a strong female voice. Please take a few moments and view the poems at IndianaVoiceJournal.com, as well as the many other women featured this month.
Tag: Women in Art
Muliebrity: Women in Art
Thrilled to once again to have the honor to read poetry with a live jazz band. Not just any live jazz, but Dave Williams and friends. Not only am I reading, but I get to share the stage with other Poety Goddesses: Elmast Kozlyan, Raundi Moore-Kondo, and JL Martindale. Come out to CALB at the Shore (above Shenanigan’s) 423 Shoreline Village Dr. in Long Beach on Sunday, May 17th between 5 and 8:30 pm. Count on some serious enchantment!
Daylight
Your arm hit the blinds
they swung like a pendulum
brightlight
brightlight
piercing my eyes you
held up your hand
to stop the sun
to shade my face
it felt just like love
so I sunk
into you
in the silence
First published in First Literary Review East and included in All the Tiny Anchors.
Art Show Opening with Esmeralda Villalobos
My dear friend, Esmeralda Villalobos, is having an art show at our favorite local coffeehouse, Viento Y Agua on Friday, April 17th from 7-10 pm. I have had the honor of using her art on the cover of two of my books, Unanchored and All the Tiny Anchors. I am once again honored to be able to read poetry at her art show, this time with a favorite poet and friend, Raquel Reyes-Lopez. If that was not enough, we will be joined by two incredible musical acts, King Kang and Bearcoon. Find out more information on the Facebook event page, or just come down to 4007 E. 4th St. on Long Beach.
Honey
The first time you kissed me
I should have seen it coming
You were animal-starved
pawing hungry at my hips
You were hurricane-tongued
bracing me against your mouth
I pulled up fierce to match you
claw for claw around your neck
I could not hear us breathing
deafened by your torrent eyes
I did not recognize the beast
devouring my skin like victory
I wasn’t your prey or your prize
bound to be death-squandered
I had waited beyond time for you
to lay yourself down at my feet
I had hoped for honey sweet
and slow to drench my lips
with tenderness. But I—
I should have known
First published in Pyrokinection, also included in All the Tiny Anchors
Listen on SoundCloud.
San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival
April is National Poetry Month and I will be celebrating poetry every weekend, including a feature at the San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival in Pasadena on April 18th. The event began in April 2000 and includes month long celebrations of poets from all around the Southern California area. Check out their Facebook page for updates. I will join my poetry sister, Raquel Reyes-Lopez, as well as many other wonderful poets from 3-5:30 pm on Sunday, April 18th, at the Santa Catalina Branch of the Pasadena Public Library on 999 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena. Don’t miss the slew of amazing poets on April 11th, from 3-5:30, including Elmast Kozloyan, Raundi Moore Kondo, Joe Gardner, and more!
Louder Than Long Beach 3!!
On Saturday, April 11th, Long Beach will once again be taken over by the artistic mash-up that is Louder Than Long Beach. Music, poetry, and art will be dancing together at CALB on Pine Ave from 3-8 pm. Poetry magicians, Larry Duncan, Keayva Mitchell, Nancy Lynée Woo, and Kevin Ridgeway will be casting their spells along with a special dual reading by Raquel Reyes-Lopez and myself. Six bands and several artists, including Fernando Gallegos, will also be strutting their stuff. In addition, Lucid Moose Lit and Sadie Girl Press will have plenty of books to browse. The best part (like there needed to be a better reason) is that all of this is free! The Cultural Alliance of Long Beach (CALB) has the mission of bringing you incredible events like these for free, just to keep Long Beach the cultural bounty it is.
Prose, Rhythm & Noise
Prose, Rhythm & Noise is a FREE downloadable recording from our poetry & jazz filled night on March 15th. Listen to myself, G. Murray Thomas, Keayva Mitchell, Dave Williams, Shy But Flyy and more performing poetry with a improvisational jazz band. It was an honor to share a stage with these incredible musicians and poets. I promise this will be worth the few minutes to load it on your iPod or burn it to a CD and listen to on your way to work. mbtmusic.bandcamp.com
East Jasmine Review Volume 2 Issue 4
The new East Jasmine Review is out now! You can download this lovely literary journal for the price of a fancy coffee. It is packed full of amazing authors such as: Sean Gunning, John Brantingham, Kelsey Bryan-Zwick, Natalie Morales, Michael Cantin, and Zack Nelson-Lopiccolo. I am especially happy that two of my poems based around my dysfunctional family, “Both Wolves and Sheep Alike” and “Drawing Maps for the Lost”, are included. You can download it for many e-reader devices or on PDF.
Excursions: A Sight & Sound Festival on March 15th
Dave Williams is a fantastic musician, specializing in magical trumpet playing, also hosts Excursions: A Sight & Sound Festival. The event has music, poetry, and poetry with music! I am excited to be invited to participate reading poetry on Sunday, March 15th, from 5-8 pm, at CALB at the Shore located above Shenanigans Irish Pub in Shoreline Village. Even more excited to be joining two of my favorite Long Beach poets and friends, Shy But Flyy and Keayva Mitchell. Check out more details on the Facebook event page!
Sarah Thursday 