Looking for a cozy spot to read, write, or just unwind? Stop by Markham House from 11am to 4pm. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you browse our library, chat with our friendly docent, and take in some dedicated poetry appreciation time.

Barry Endick will perfom a short reading of Edwin Markham's poems at 2:00 pm. He will have copies of other Markham poems that anyone who attends can get up and read.

📍Location: Markham House @ History Park • 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA.

Free parking right outside of the main gate or in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue (except during some History Park events.)

Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road ends, then make a left. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There will be a flag over the steps that reads OPEN.

Poetry Center San José presents San José Poetry Slam – Live In Person!

Come join us for poetry and some of the most delicious pizza in San José at our new venue in Willow Glen:

Wheelhouse of Willow Glen
1173 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125

Sunday, June 21, 2026
Doors open and the sign up list goes out at 6:30pm
The Poetry Slam starts at 7:00pm

Admission is $5–10 sliding scale; no one turned away for lack of funds.

Hosted by Scorpiana Xlent.

Our Featured Poet is Esperanza Cabrales!

Esperanza had the honor of being in the Queer Cultural Center's Creating Queer Communities 2024 artist cohort, with their poetry featured at the 2024 Fall National Queer Arts Festival. Their poem, ‘A Non-Controversial Poem”, was published in La Raiz Magazine's 2025 edition. Their zines include: “Lessons From My Cousin’s Garden” and “A Ghazal for Gaza/Where Does It Hurt?”, the latter of which was created in collaboration with Artists Against Apartheid and features collaged art from the Palestinian youth art exhibit "A Child's View from Gaza". Esperanza is on instagram as @nepantlainoakland and substack as @dreamingeyeswideopen.

Poetry Slam Competition Info

Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

If you have never been to a Poetry Slam before, a poetry slam is a competition, imagine spoken word poetry as an olympic sport. The rules are simple:

1.) Poets must use their own poems.
2.) poet must use only one poem per round.
3.) no musical accompaniment.
4.) no props.
5.) there is a time limit of 3 minutes and 10 seconds. going over that will result in a time penalty.

This is a two-round slam, poets with the highest scores will move up to round two.
If you're not competing, we could use judges.

Please remember to submit a quick audience survey to help us improve our logistics and content and report to our funders and sponsors. Here is the link to the survey: https://bit.ly/3M63VqH

Poetry Center San José promotes and supports the literary arts in San José. Over the past four decades, PCSJ has brought hundreds of exceptional writers from around the country to read from their works and, in many cases, to conduct workshops for local writers. PCSJ is a nonprofit organization established in 1978. Its base of operations is in the charming turn-of-the-century Victorian home where the renown poet Edwin Markham once lived, now located in San José History Park. Poetry Center San José is a member supported organization and is funded, in part, by grants from Applied Materials Foundation, the City of San José's Office of Cultural Affairs, Knight Foundation, Poets & Writers, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SVCREATES, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council and also supported in part by a SVCreates National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan grant. We also thank Brandenburg Family Foundation and Anne & Mark's Art Party for their generous giving.

POETRY LOUNGE ONLINE OPEN MIC!
Sunday, May 17, 1:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom

Poetry Lounge is held twice a month on the first and third Sunday.

Hosted by Lesa Medley! Contact Lesa Medley to receive your Zoom link: lcmedley016@gmail.com.

Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience. We offer programs and services to stimulate passion for the literary arts and to inspire and support emerging and established writers.

You're invited to a gathering for those looking for a supportive writing community that focuses on the social aspects of being a writer and a space to discuss any and all disciplines of writing. 

We welcome writers from all disciplines to hang out, work, then hang out some more.

This isn't a workshop, but a work time in a workspace with other writers.

This event is free and no registration necessary. Just show up with something to write.

We will meet at 11:30am for pastries, snacks, coffee and tea. Some will be provided, but more is welcome. If you do bring pastries, please only bring enough to share with one or two others.

Approximate Schedule

11:30am: Conversation over coffee and tea.

12:30: Quiet work. There are quite a few places to work quietly inside Markham House. Find your nook and write, or explore the books in our library upstairs, or continue your conversation outside, on the porch, or somewhere in History Park. We'll keep the coffee and kettle hot while you work.

2:45–3:15pm: Optional sharing and conversation. Writers are not expected to share what they’ve written, but if you’d like feedback, this would be the time for it.

Keep in mind, Markham House will be open to the public, so visitors will be coming in to peruse, but we will let them know that the house is infested with writers writing!

Admission: Free, but donations are welcome!

Parking: There is a parking strip on Phelan Avenue at the park gate. If there is no space available, there is a lot at the end of Phelan Ave.
Location: Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road veers left with the firehouse on the right, then follow the left turn. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There should be an OPEN flag out on the porch.

Here is a map of History Park’s parking options:

Looking for a cozy spot to read, write, or just unwind? Stop by Markham House from 11am to 4pm. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you browse our library, chat with our friendly docent, and take in some dedicated poetry appreciation time.

Barry Endick will perfom a short reading of Edwin Markham's poems at 2:00 pm. He will have copies of other Markham poems that anyone who attends can get up and read.

📍Location: Markham House @ History Park • 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA.

Free parking right outside of the main gate or in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue (except during some History Park events.)

Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road ends, then make a left. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There will be a flag over the steps that reads OPEN.

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize

Final Judge: Lee Herrick! 

Three prizes: $1,000, $500, $250. 
Five finalists published in 2026 red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.  
Letterpress broadside of winning poem printed by Gary Young, Greenhouse Review Press!  

The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize 2026 will be open for submissions on April 1, 2026. Thank you for the opportunity to read your work!

To submit your manuscript, visit: https://redwheelbarrow.submittable.com/submit
                                                                                                         

Submit up to three unpublished poems in a single manuscript. 

• Each poem must fit onto one 8.5 x 11 inch page;

• Do not include any personal identifiers in the manuscript, manuscript file name, and the title line when submitting;

• Short bio acceptable, not required; 

• Deadline to submit: 31 July 2026;

• Fee per manuscript is $15.00;

• Simultaneous submission OK but please notify immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• The contest is open to all styles of poetry from national and international participants writing in English except individuals who are employees and/or board members for Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine  and Poetry Center San José.

The 2025 winners: 1st prize: Emily Pease, "Veer" (Williamsburg, VA); 2nd prize: Michele Parker Randall, "Mother Lode" (Sanford, FL); 3rd prize: Melissa McKinstry, "Once Opened" (San Diego, CA). 

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize is sponsored by Poetry Center San José and Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.

For information about Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine, visit https://www.deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html

Well-RED Reading Series featuring Anshu Johri & Monica Korde!

Co-sponsored by Works/San José art and performance center!
38 South Second Street, downtown San José
7:00 p.m. PDT
Open mic to start the show!

If you are unable to attend in person, we welcome you to join via Zoom! Register in advance for this event via Zoom. Link: https://bit.ly/Well-RED_June2026

Anshu Johri authors poems, short stories, and plays in Hindi and English. She has published three poetry collections and three short story collections in Hindi and published Scraped, a short story collection in English. Her work in Hindi and English has been continuously published in various reputed literary magazines and journals of India and the USA, and is also available at Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, YouTube, Spotify, and Kindle. She has been a featured reader and guest speaker in various reading series of the San Francisco Bay Area and India. She has been organizing literary events through local non-profit organizations of the San Francisco Bay Area for the past twenty-five+ years. She has curated and directed various experimental poetry projects in collaboration with other art forms, combining theater and classical dance forms with poetry, which were showcased in the San José Poetry Festival and the San Francisco Litcrawl, among many others. Besides writing, her other passions include dabbling in oil painting and theatre, where she has written, directed, and acted in plays in the Bay Area. A recipient of the Kamleshwar Smriti Katha Samman (India) for best story of 2019 and “Glorious India Award 2017” in New Jersey, U.S.A, she is also the program coordinator of Poetry Center San Jose’s monthly reading series in Hindi called “Bauchhaar”. She has a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from San José State University and works as a hardware engineer. She lives in San José, California.

Monica Korde is Poet Laureate Emerita of Belmont, California (2021–2025), and the city’s first South Asian immigrant to serve in the role. Her multidisciplinary practice bridges poetry and other arts, inviting audiences to engage deeply with identity, belonging, climate action and collective creativity. Founder of the initiative Project POETRY 360, Monica often holds spaces with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ AAPI, immigrant and youth voices through collaborative work, workshops and readings. Her interviews and poems have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous publications such as LAdige Review: home of California Poets (2026), Poets for Science (2026), Weavers Literary Review (Weavers Press 2025), Being, Becoming, Belonging Anthology (Pierian Press 2024), World Poetry Day Anthology (Savitri Publications, India), and elsewhere, including various digital venues on podcast, radio, and YouTube. An experienced curator and host of several community poetry series with Open Mic events and editor of the e-book RESONANCE: A Chorus of Response Poems, featuring local poets and guest California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, her work centers on bringing visibility to the literary arts and poets in the community. Among her recently featured creative works is a collaborative poetry installation showcased at the 2026 Legacy Exhibition at Kitsune Art Studio in Half Moon Bay. She is currently an Artist-in-Residence with Government (AIRG) with the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture, supporting creative civic engagement through the arts.

Downtown SJ provides free parking on the street after 6:00 p.m. Available street parking is difficult to find after 6:30 p.m.
If you are unable to find parking on the street, there are two parking garages of note:
1.) 25 S. 3rd Street PARKSJ Garage (located underground, under The Globe Apartments), about 300 meters from Works/San José;
2.) 2nd & San Carlos PARKSJ Garage (first 90 minutes are free). This is a 5-10 minute walk to Works/San José

TO SUBMIT EVENT FEEDBACK, visit: https://bit.ly/4dBnxR2

Poetry Center San Jose presents The San Jose Poetry Slam Zoom Edition

We moved days

Come join us for Poetry from the comfort of your own home
Room opens at 6:30p.m. (PST)

Register here through Ticket Tailor

Sign up list will be open from 6:30 to 7:00p.m.

Slam starts at 7:00p.m.

We are on Pacific Standard time, that is 3 hours earlier than east coast time and 3 hours ahead of Hawaii.

This is a free event.

Your host and Emcee will be Scorpiana Xlent!

Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

If you have never been to a Poetry Slam before, a poetry slam is a competition, imagine spoken word poetry as an olympic sport.
The rules are simple:

1. Poets must use their own poems.

2. Poet must use only one poem per round.

3. No musical accompaniment.

4. No props.

5. Time limit of 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Going over that will result in a time penalty.

6. Poets must have video on while performing or there will be a 3-point penalty deduction.

This is a two-round slam, poets with the highest scores will move up to round two.

You can sign up to compete via the chat box in the zoom room.
If you're not competing, we could use judges.

Please remember to submit a quick audience survey to help us improve our logistics and content and report to our funders and sponsors. Here is the link to the survey: https://bit.ly/3M63VqH

Poetry Center San José promotes and supports the literary arts in San José. Over the past four decades, PCSJ has brought hundreds of exceptional writers from around the country to read from their works and, in many cases, to conduct workshops for local writers. PCSJ is a nonprofit organization established in 1978. Its base of operations is in the charming turn-of-the-century Victorian home where the renown poet Edwin Markham once lived, now located in San José History Park. Poetry Center San José is a member supported organization and is funded, in part, by grants from Applied Materials Foundation, the City of San José's Office of Cultural Affairs, Knight Foundation, Poets & Writers, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SVCREATES, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council and also supported in part by a SVCreates National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan grant. We also thank Brandenburg Family Foundation and Anne & Mark's Art Party for their generous giving 

POETRY LOUNGE ONLINE OPEN MIC!
Sunday, June 7, 1:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom

Poetry Lounge is held twice a month on the first and third Sunday.

Hosted by Lesa Medley! Contact Lesa Medley to receive your Zoom link: lcmedley016@gmail.com.

Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience. We offer programs and services to stimulate passion for the literary arts and to inspire and support emerging and established writers.

Public comment period will be available to begin the meeting, a chance for the public to share feedback on programming, suggestions, and constructive criticism to be considered by board members of PCSJ.

To join and participate in the public comment, please RSVP on Zoom here.

Between 6:30-6:35 is your time to notify that you wish to be heard. Provide your name in the chat to reserve your two minute time-slot.

Agenda and minutes will be provided.

Calling all performers! Poetry, hip hop, and musical theater artists! We are looking for the county's next Youth Poet Laureate!

To submit your application, click here.

Deadline to submit: May 31st, 11:59p.m. (PDT)

Prepare these materials as you submit your application:

• General application

• Artist Statement/Biography about who you are

• Photo for promotional purposes

• Three (3) of your poems totaling no more than ten (10) pages. (You can also upload a document with links to online videos)

• In 250 words, tell us who you are and what poetry means to you.

The Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program is youth-centered program to celebrate literacy and self-literacy through poetry and connect young writers to opportunities for performances and community collaborations.

​Each year, we will accept applications from talented Santa Clara County writers (ages 13-18) to join a community of young poets. The Laureate earns an educational scholarship. The Laureate will, and all the Finalists are invited to, serve as ambassadors for literacy, arts and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for performances, projects, and peer support.

Every applicant will be invited to stay in connection with the SCC Youth Poet Laureate community.

Poets@Play is a monthly creative writing workshop hosted by Robert Pesich, Brandon Luu and former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate David Perez. Each session features a different guest facilitator leading hands-on exercises to inspire creativity and new ideas.

Our Facilitator: Joyce Lee
Poet and performer, Joyce Lee, has toured the United States and been featured at the Nuyorican Poetry Café, Yoshi’s of San Francisco, 1st Annual Oakland Gay Pride Parade, and many other spoken word events. As the winner of the 2009 and 2010 Oakland Grand Slams, she speaks with Michelle Flowers of Orijin Culture’s Indigo Thread about her influences, art as testimony and her need to grow beyond boundaries of time and space.

Questioning is how Joyce Lee grows, learns, writes, and teaches. Joyce Lee has over thirteen years of classroom experience teaching everything from erotic poetry to ESL in four countries with ages ranging from 5 to 88. She has been a paid speaker and freelance instructor for over a decade now in places such as (but not limited to) Facebook Headquarters, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Google Headquarters, and Third World Press. Joyce is the founder of JL Soul Camp in Sonoma County, California. JL Soul Camp is an annual, all expenses paid, Black and Indigenous womyn/non-male, five-day healing retreat that utilizes creativity and community to inform, heal, and support. Black and First Nation healers and those healing conduct paid workshops and facilitate internal and outdoor reconnections with nature. Joyce is a professional storyteller on WNYC’s Snap Judgment (one of the top five storytelling podcasts in the nation) and has spent the pandemic midwifing others in the completion of their literary projects, as well as teaching college students Oral Interpretation of Literature as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Jamestown University. Among other things, Joyce is also a mentor and volunteer at the Minnesota Prison Writing Program and the Minnesota Book Festival. She will graduate with her MFA in poetry and creative writing from Hamline University this coming May (2023).

Workshop Description: Uses of the Erotic

Based on Audre Lorde's essay, "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power." Ms. Lee assures a fun exploration into words, sense, and sensuality.

Lorde’s essay argues that the erotic is a profound, spiritual, and creative life force, not just sexual pleasure, used to empower women by connecting them to their deepest feelings and desires, enabling them to reject oppression and live more fully and authentically

Paper and pens are available. The internet connection is unreliable.

No RSVP required. Just show up at 1:00pm

Admission: Free (donations welcome)

📍Location: Markham House @ History Park
635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA.

Free parking right outside of the main gate or in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue (except during some History Park events.)

Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road dead ends, then make a left. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There will be a flag over the steps that reads OPEN.

The theme for this year’s Cæsura is LIFELINE.

What helps you feel grounded? How do you remember what you know? We live life with a constant sense of urgency and it is hard to filter through the chaos. What or who is your filter to calm, inspiration, and or radical joy?

We accept submissions of poetry, fiction and art from March 15th–June 1st 2026 for the general public, June 15th 2026 for Poetry Center San Jose Members.

Click here to read our complete submission guidelines.

We have a print and online edition. During the submission process, you will be asked if you want to be considered for print, online or both. Submissions may be published on one format or the other. We rarely print pieces in both editions.

¡Cultura Poetry Night! with Open Mic
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:30-8:30pm Pacific Time via Zoom
Registration link: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/larazmagazine/2191833

¡Cultura Poetry Night! celebrates the culture of people who identify as Raza, Chicana/o, Indigenous, or from their country of origin, whose heritage is rooted in areas that are now Mexico, Central America, ​the Caribbean, and South America. A multilingual event with two featured poets, guest poets, and open mic!

Everyone is welcome at this inclusive event presented by Poetry
Center San José, hosted by Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo, in partnership with La Raíz
Magazine.

Free tickets are available. Donations are appreciated.

********************************************************************

About the Featured Poets

Sammy Herrera is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken-word-artist, and zine queen
from the La Puente. She writes on feminism, racism, working with children, mental health,
love, and heartbreak. She’s placed 1st in both the OC Poetry Slam and Pomona Slam. She is
currently working on her debut poetry collection, Empty Fields of Sunflowers.
www.prettypetitepoems.com IG: @prettypetitepoems

Montezuma III Zepeda, a Caxcan artist from Ameca, Jalisco, creates powerful, multi-disciplinary
art that challenges colonialism and affirms Indigenous sovereignty. Through raw expression and
cultural memory, M3 reconnects the Native diaspora with ancestral pride, weaving art as resistance,
medicine, and a call to rise across stolen lands. http://linktr.ee/moctezumaiii IG: @montezuma_iii

**************

La Raíz Magazine: www.laraizmagazine.com

IG: @laraizmagazine / FB: @laraizmag

La Raíz Magazine expands culturally-relevant arts engagement opportunities to create, present, publish, and experience poetry and visual art that celebrate shared culture and inspire conversations on important issues. La Raíz offers free, bilingual generative workshops, creative showcases, and an annual, multilingual literary journal to create space for the publication and presentation of creative work.

Events: www.laraizmagazine/events

Email list: http://bit.ly/laraizlist

After registering for the event, you will receive emails from La Raíz Magazine, about once monthly when there are events or Calls for Entry. You can unsubscribe at any time.

#laraizmagazine#poets #writers #poetryworkshop#writersconference#writers#raza#spanglish#publishers#bookfair#poetryshowcase#artshowcase#openmic

**************

The views presented by La Raíz Magazine in showcases, events, publications, social media, our website, and other places are those of La Raíz Magazine or of the contributors and does not necessarily reflect the views of any of our partners, sponsors, their employees, board, or affiliates.

**************

Issues of La Raíz Magazine can be purchased with your ticket! Discounts on sets and contributor copies. Tax and shipping are included for addresses in the continental United States only. Additional shipping per copy for addresses outside the continental U.S, can be ordered at http://www.laraizmagazine.com Get the lowest price on current and future issues by subscribing on our website!

Calling all performers! Poetry, hip hop, and musical theater artists! We are looking for the county's next Youth Poet Laureate!

To submit your application, click here.

Deadline to submit: May 31st, 11:59p.m. (PDT)

Prepare these materials as you submit your application:

• General application

• Artist Statement/Biography about who you are

• Photo for promotional purposes

• Three (3) of your poems totaling no more than ten (10) pages. (You can also upload a document with links to online videos)

• In 250 words, tell us who you are and what poetry means to you.

The Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program is youth-centered program to celebrate literacy and self-literacy through poetry and connect young writers to opportunities for performances and community collaborations.

​Each year, we will accept applications from talented Santa Clara County writers (ages 13-18) to join a community of young poets. The Laureate earns an educational scholarship. The Laureate will, and all the Finalists are invited to, serve as ambassadors for literacy, arts and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for performances, projects, and peer support.

Every applicant will be invited to stay in connection with the SCC Youth Poet Laureate community.

Poetry Center San José presents San José Poetry Slam – Live In Person!

Come join us for poetry and some of the most delicious pizza in San José at our new venue in Willow Glen:

Wheelhouse of Willow Glen
1173 Lincoln Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125

Sunday, May 17, 2026
Doors open and the sign up list goes out at 6:30pm
The Poetry Slam starts at 7:00pm

Admission is $5–10 sliding scale; no one turned away for lack of funds.

Hosted by Scorpiana Xlent.

Our Featured Poet is Julian “Protected Poet” Blackmon!

Julian Blackmon, known to the world as Protected Poet, was born in Marion, Indiana, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A dynamic force in both music and spoken word, he is a Gold-certified recording artist, international spoken-word poet, actor, published author, and a commanding voice of purpose, healing, and truth.

His journey in poetry is marked by a defining early victory—on May 14, 2023, he won his very first poetry slam at the San Jose Slam, on a night headlined by Brandon Leaks. That moment ignited a trajectory that would quickly establish him as a force in the spoken-word world.

Protected Poet has built a powerful presence on stages across the globe. In 2024, he gained national recognition joining the Berkeley Slam Team and competing in the National Bigfoot Poetry Festival in Portland, earning 2nd place. He is also a Berkeley Slam Grand Slam Champion, further solidifying his dominance within the Bay Area poetry scene. He was invited to perform in the 2024 ILL List Invitationals at the Modesto Theatre and has been featured twice in the Modesto View newspaper. That same year, he toured 8 states and 23 cities, followed by an even greater run in 2025—17 states, 44 cities, and an international performance in the Bahamas. In 2025, he was crowned the Fort Worth, Texas Harambee Festival Poetry Grand Slam Champion and winner. That same year, he was nominated for Best Poet of the Year at the Spoken Word Awards Show in Chicago, where he also took the stage as a featured performer. A 5-time Grand Slam Champion, his performances are known for their electrifying energy, emotional depth, and unforgettable delivery—where every line lands like a gem.

Expanding his artistry beyond poetry, Protected Poet is also making his mark as an actor. In 2026, he is currently performing in the hit musical stage play Back in the Day in Las Vegas, directed by Eugene Parker—who is widely known for his role as Mr. Keys on the BET hit Tyler Perry’s Sistas.

As an author, he has published the book Peace of Me, with a new release titled A Walking Lighthouse set to be released soon. He is also preparing to release a new poetry album under the same title, continuing to expand his voice across multiple creative platforms.

He is currently touring the Bay Area ahead of his 2026 national book tour, continuing to build momentum across stages, cities, and audiences worldwide.

Poetry Slam Competition Info

Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

If you have never been to a Poetry Slam before, a poetry slam is a competition, imagine spoken word poetry as an olympic sport. The rules are simple:

1.) Poets must use their own poems.
2.) poet must use only one poem per round.
3.) no musical accompaniment.
4.) no props.
5.) there is a time limit of 3 minutes and 10 seconds. going over that will result in a time penalty.

This is a two-round slam, poets with the highest scores will move up to round two.
If you're not competing, we could use judges.

Please remember to submit a quick audience survey to help us improve our logistics and content and report to our funders and sponsors. Here is the link to the survey: https://bit.ly/3M63VqH

Poetry Center San José promotes and supports the literary arts in San José. Over the past four decades, PCSJ has brought hundreds of exceptional writers from around the country to read from their works and, in many cases, to conduct workshops for local writers. PCSJ is a nonprofit organization established in 1978. Its base of operations is in the charming turn-of-the-century Victorian home where the renown poet Edwin Markham once lived, now located in San José History Park. Poetry Center San José is a member supported organization and is funded, in part, by grants from Applied Materials Foundation, the City of San José's Office of Cultural Affairs, Knight Foundation, Poets & Writers, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SVCREATES, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council and also supported in part by a SVCreates National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan grant. We also thank Brandenburg Family Foundation and Anne & Mark's Art Party for their generous giving.

POETRY LOUNGE ONLINE OPEN MIC!
Sunday, May 17, 1:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom

Poetry Lounge is held twice a month on the first and third Sunday.

Hosted by Lesa Medley! Contact Lesa Medley to receive your Zoom link: lcmedley016@gmail.com.

Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience. We offer programs and services to stimulate passion for the literary arts and to inspire and support emerging and established writers.

You're invited to a gathering for those looking for a supportive writing community that focuses on the social aspects of being a writer and a space to discuss any and all disciplines of writing. 

We welcome writers from all disciplines to hang out, work, then hang out some more.

This isn't a workshop, but a work time in a workspace with other writers.

This event is free and no registration necessary. Just show up with something to write.

We will meet at 11:30am for pastries, snacks, coffee and tea. Some will be provided, but more is welcome. If you do bring pastries, please only bring enough to share with one or two others.

Approximate Schedule

11:30am: Conversation over coffee and tea.

12:30: Quiet work. There are quite a few places to work quietly inside Markham House. Find your nook and write, or explore the books in our library upstairs, or continue your conversation outside, on the porch, or somewhere in History Park. We'll keep the coffee and kettle hot while you work.

2:45–3:15pm: Optional sharing and conversation. Writers are not expected to share what they’ve written, but if you’d like feedback, this would be the time for it.

Keep in mind, Markham House will be open to the public, so visitors will be coming in to peruse, but we will let them know that the house is infested with writers writing!

Admission: Free, but donations are welcome!

Parking: There is a parking strip on Phelan Avenue at the park gate. If there is no space available, there is a lot at the end of Phelan Ave.
Location: Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road veers left with the firehouse on the right, then follow the left turn. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There should be an OPEN flag out on the porch.

Here is a map of History Park’s parking options:

Looking for a cozy spot to read, write, or just unwind? Stop by Markham House from 11am to 4pm. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you browse our library, chat with our friendly docent, and take in some dedicated poetry appreciation time.

Barry Endick will perfom a short reading of Edwin Markham's poems at 2:00 pm. He will have copies of other Markham poems that anyone who attends can get up and read.

📍Location: Markham House @ History Park • 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA.

Free parking right outside of the main gate or in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue (except during some History Park events.)

Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road dead ends, then make a left. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There will be a flag over the steps that reads OPEN.

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize

Final Judge: Lee Herrick! 

Three prizes: $1,000, $500, $250. 
Five finalists published in 2026 Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.  
Letterpress broadside of winning poem printed by Gary Young, Greenhouse Review Press!  

The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize 2026 will be open for submissions on April 1, 2026. Thank you for the opportunity to read your work!

To submit your manuscript, visit: https://redwheelbarrow.submittable.com/submit

Submit up to three unpublished poems in a single manuscript. 

• Each poem must fit onto one 8.5 x 11 inch page;

• Do not include any personal identifiers in the manuscript, manuscript file name, and the title line when submitting;

• Short bio acceptable, not required; 

• Deadline to submit: 31 July 2026;

• Fee per manuscript is $15.00;

• Simultaneous submission OK but please notify immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• The contest is open to all styles of poetry from national and international participants writing in English except individuals who are employees and/or board members for Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine  and Poetry Center San José.

The 2025 winners: 1st prize: Emily Pease, "Veer" (Williamsburg, VA); 2nd prize: Michele Parker Randall, "Mother Lode" (Sanford, FL); 3rd prize: Melissa McKinstry, "Once Opened" (San Diego, CA). 

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize is sponsored by Poetry Center San José and Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.

For information about Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine, visit https://www.deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html

Calling all performers! Poetry, hip hop, and musical theater artists! We are looking for the county's next Youth Poet Laureate!

To submit your application, click here.

Deadline to submit: May 31st, 11:59p.m. (PDT)

Prepare these materials as you submit your application:

• General application

• Artist Statement/Biography about who you are

• Photo for promotional purposes

• Three (3) of your poems totaling no more than ten (10) pages. (You can also upload a document with links to online videos)

• In 250 words, tell us who you are and what poetry means to you.

The Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program is youth-centered program to celebrate literacy and self-literacy through poetry and connect young writers to opportunities for performances and community collaborations.

​Each year, we will accept applications from talented Santa Clara County writers (ages 13-18) to join a community of young poets. The Laureate earns an educational scholarship. The Laureate will, and all the Finalists are invited to, serve as ambassadors for literacy, arts and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for performances, projects, and peer support.

Every applicant will be invited to stay in connection with the SCC Youth Poet Laureate community.

Looking for a cozy spot to read, write, or just unwind? Stop by Markham House from 11am to 4pm. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you browse our library, chat with our friendly docent, and take in some dedicated poetry appreciation time.

Barry Endick will perfom a short reading of Edwin Markham's poems at 2:00 pm. He will have copies of other Markham poems that anyone who attends can get up and read.

📍Location: Markham House @ History Park • 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA.

Free parking right outside of the main gate or in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue (except during some History Park events.)

Once you walk into the park from Phelan Avenue, go straight until the road dead ends, then make a left. Markham House is then the second house on your left. There will be a flag over the steps that reads OPEN.

 The Yuki Teikei Haiku Society’s

Annual Spring Reading

May 9, 2026

Michael Henry Lee, St. Augustine FL

Beverly Acuff Momoi, Mt. View CA

Helen Ogden, Monterey CA

Wakako Rollinger, Topanga CA

Joan Zimmerman, Santa Cruz, CA*

*read by Alison Woolpert, Santa Cruz CA

We invite you to join us for this free event.

Works/SAN JOSÉ
38 South Second Street
San José, California 95113

Program also on Zoom: tinyurl.com/yths26

Doors open at 4:30 pm. Program 5:00-7:00 pm with one intermission.

Light snacks and beverages with be served.

90 minutes free parking—auto entry at 25 South 3rd Street

Calling all performers! Poetry, hip hop, and musical theater artists! We are looking for the county's next Youth Poet Laureate!

To submit your application, click here.

Deadline to submit: May 31st, 11:59p.m. (PDT)

Prepare these materials as you submit your application:

• General application

• Artist Statement/Biography about who you are

• Photo for promotional purposes

• Three (3) of your poems totaling no more than ten (10) pages. (You can also upload a document with links to online videos)

• In 250 words, tell us who you are and what poetry means to you.

The Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program is youth-centered program to celebrate literacy and self-literacy through poetry and connect young writers to opportunities for performances and community collaborations.

​Each year, we will accept applications from talented Santa Clara County writers (ages 13-18) to join a community of young poets. The Laureate earns an educational scholarship. The Laureate will, and all the Finalists are invited to, serve as ambassadors for literacy, arts and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for performances, projects, and peer support.

Every applicant will be invited to stay in connection with the SCC Youth Poet Laureate community.

POETRY LOUNGE ONLINE OPEN MIC!
Sunday, May 3, 1:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom

Poetry Lounge is held twice a month on the first and third Sunday.

Hosted by Lesa Medley! Contact Lesa Medley to receive your Zoom link: lcmedley016@gmail.com.

Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience. We offer programs and services to stimulate passion for the literary arts and to inspire and support emerging and established writers.

The theme for this year’s Cæsura is LIFELINE.

What helps you feel grounded? How do you remember what you know? We live life with a constant sense of urgency and it is hard to filter through the chaos. What or who is your filter to calm, inspiration, and or radical joy?

We accept submissions of poetry, fiction and art from March 15th–June 1st 2026 for the general public, June 15th 2026 for Poetry Center San Jose Members.

Click here to read our complete submission guidelines.

We have a print and online edition. During the submission process, you will be asked if you want to be considered for print, online or both. Submissions may be published on one format or the other. We rarely print pieces in both editions.

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize

Final Judge: Lee Herrick! 

Three prizes: $1,000, $500, $250. 
Five finalists published in 2026 red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.  
Letterpress broadside of winning poem printed by Gary Young, Greenhouse Review Press!  

The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize 2026 will be open for submissions on April 1, 2026. Thank you for the opportunity to read your work!

To submit your manuscript, visit: https://redwheelbarrow.submittable.com/submit
                                                                                                         

Submit up to three unpublished poems in a single manuscript. 

• Each poem must fit onto one 8.5 x 11 inch page;

• Do not include any personal identifiers in the manuscript, manuscript file name, and the title line when submitting;

• Short bio acceptable, not required; 

• Deadline to submit: 31 July 2026;

• Fee per manuscript is $15.00;

• Simultaneous submission OK but please notify immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

• The contest is open to all styles of poetry from national and international participants writing in English except individuals who are employees and/or board members for Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine  and Poetry Center San José.

The 2025 winners: 1st prize: Emily Pease, "Veer" (Williamsburg, VA); 2nd prize: Michele Parker Randall, "Mother Lode" (Sanford, FL); 3rd prize: Melissa McKinstry, "Once Opened" (San Diego, CA). 

Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize is sponsored by Poetry Center San José and Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.

For information about Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine, visit https://www.deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html