POETRY LOUNGE ONLINE OPEN MIC!
Sunday, September 21, 1:00 p.m. (PST)
via Zoom

Hosted by Lesa Medley!

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

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

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

Our Facilitator: Arlene Biala!

POET, AUTHOR, PERFORMANCE ARTIST, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER

Arlene Biala is a Filipina American writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who has been participating in poetry performances and workshops for over 30 years. She is a 2023-2026 Lucas Artist Residency Fellow in Literary Arts at the Montalvo Arts Center and was Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2016 and 2017. She is the author of continental drift, one inch punch, and her beckoning hands, which won the 2015 American Book Award. Her latest book, a thousand voices whispering, is forthcoming from Sampaguita Press in November 2025.

Workshop Description

workshop title: do you remember? burning for the new moon

The new moon is a time to release what doesn’t serve us. It’s a time to write the raw break up poem, to cycle out the stagnant energy and see what imagination can do. Through some free writing exercises and poetry prompts we can share a space to write, listen, and talk story in the key that our souls are singing. And in case you can't tell by now, there will be earth, wind & fire music in the house :)

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.

This is Day One of our four-day festival! Check out the complete list of events that are part of the 2025 San José Poetry Festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events and online events.

This event is free to all youth aged 19 and under and to those with a festival pass. $25 for general public and $20 for PCSJ Members. Admission may be purchased at the door.

Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

Doors open at 6:30pm. Show begins at 7pm.

OPENING NIGHT!

Our 11th annual festival opens with three local legends from different parts of the Santa Clara Valley. While they may vary in style, form and presentation, they have read on the same stages, inspired the same audiences and fostered a Venn diagram of communities throughout the South Bay. From workshops, to publishing, to supporting new poets and writers, tonight's trio represents three generations of San José poetry!

Tonight's Poets

Jan McEwan (Janet M.) wore all the hats as Running Deer Press, publisher/editor of Writing For Our Lives, a feminist lit/mag, 15 issues in all, in the 1990’s. It was all about the healing value of telling our untold stories, & ushering some of them into print. While enjoying the privilege of reading thousands of manuscripts of women’s writing, she was engaging in the rich & serendipitous life of arts, writing, healing & women’s community that paralleled her long practice in healthcare as a Registered Nurse. For several summers she led writing retreats called Write For the Trees at the Women’s Forest Sanctuary, a non-profit land trust in the Mattole watershed, while she was on its board. Long in the shadows with her own work, she was a founding member of Nibwits, a writers’ support group; was once a featured reader at Poet/Speak in Santa Cruz; listened in awe at open mics in Los Gatos from the time Robert Pesich & Bea Garth hosted them at Café Rouge. There she met a kindred spirit with whom she became “The Beats of Los Gatos,” an art & writing-inspired friendship to this day. These days she’s known at Third Thursday open mics for her long serial poem Mother Vulture. Not long after she retired from paid work in 2019, COVID hit. “Sacred Pause” was the reframe that transformed her leaden solitude into gold. At the balance point of Autumn Equinox 2020, to practice for her dream of entering the annual August Poetry Postcard Fest, she poised her pen over paper & tuned in for a spontaneous poem to write directly onto a postcard, quick & alive, here & now, first draft. Her pen wrote “Mother Vulture.” From that portal Mother Vulture arrived, wild, from somewhere deep & vast, a most unlikely but perfect muse for the cosmology of a life, & no less than a guise of the Great Mother goddess archetype. Her ongoing serial poem unfurls itself.

Jan finally did become a Postcard Poet, two years now.

Born & raised in San Jose, she’s lived in Los Gatos many years.

Keiko O'Leary is the author of Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired. Her poems, stories, and essays have been featured in Caesura, FICTION Silicon Valley, and at curated live events, including Flash Fiction Forum and Play on Words San José. As Cupertino Poet Laureate, Keiko leads poetry-themed workshops and live events that celebrate creativity. She is a co‑founder of Thinking Ink Press, where she publishes traditional books, as well as innovative formats such as poetry postcards and mini books folded from a single sheet of paper. Connect with Keiko at KeikoOLeary.com.

José Jiménez is a California poet with proud Mexican roots, driven by a passion for truth, resistance, and reflection. His poetry explores justice, resilience, and social change, drawing from personal and collective experiences to challenge, heal, and inspire. With a commanding presence, José blends raw emotion with sharp wordplay, turning poetry into both a mirror and a megaphone. Jose is a 2x Grand Slam Champion and a finalist at multiple regional & national competitions in the Bay Area and around the country.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Two of our four-day festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events. 
Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

This event is free to the public. Pencils and paper will be provided. Willow Glen Library Link.

In partnership with Poetry Center San Jose, this free creative poetry workshop for youth will be facilitated by local poet Mighty Mike McGee as a part of the 11th annual San Jose Poetry Festival!

Mighty Mike McGee is a well-traveled poet and humorist from San José, California. He is the first and only spoken word performer to win both the 2003 National Poetry Slam Grand Championship and the 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam Grand championship. McGee is a co-founder of the live spoken word groups Tons of Fun University (TOFU) with Shane Koyczan and C.R. Avery. He also co-founded The Whirlwind Company with Mindy Nettifee, Brian S. Ellis, and Jon Sands, and the Poetry Revivals with Dan Leamen, Derrick Brown, Buddy Wakefield and Anis Mojgani. McGee was appointed Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) for 2018 & 2019 and serves on the Poetry Center San José Board of Directors where he has directed the San José Poetry Festival since 2021. His first collection of humor and poetry, In Search of Midnight, is available through Write Bloody Publishing.

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.

ADA Accommodation Requests

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Two of our four-day festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events. 
Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

This event is free to the public. Zoom opens at 6:15pm. Show begins at 6:30pm.

¡Cultura Poetry Night! with Open Mic
Friday, September 26, 2025

6:30-8:30pm Pacific Time via Zoom

¡Cultura Poetry Night! celebrates the culture of people who identify as Chicana/o, Raza, Latinx, and people with Indigenous heritage 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.

About the Featured Poets:

Leticia Hernández-Linares is a bilingual, interdisciplinary writer, artist, and racial justice educator. Widely published, she is the author of the poetry collection Mucha Muchacha, Too Much Girl (Tía Chucha Press, 2015) and the children’s book Alejandria Fights Back! ¡La lucha de Alejandria! (Feminist Press, 2021). A five-time San Francisco Arts Commission grantee, she received the San Francisco Flor y Canto Community Appreciation award in 2023. She teaches in Latina, Latino Studies at San Francisco State University, and has lived, created, and protested in the Mission District (unceded, ancestral Ramaytush Ohlone land), while living on the same block, for thirty years.

website: joinleticia.com

IG: @mucha_muchacha15

Marvin Flores is a Chicano poet, teaching artist, and community organizer who won the 2024 Youth Speaks Bay Area Slam and went on to represent the Bay Area at the national youth slam in Washington, D.C. His work centers on bringing poetry to underserved and underrepresented youth in the South Bay, with the goal of launching a youth slam specifically for local voices. Marvin is also a member of Los Jaguares, a student-led organization at Foothill College dedicated to political education, advocacy, and holistic community support—addressing the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of Latino students and their broader communities. He is also the first ever Poet Laureate of his college campus.

IG: @marvinflorespoesia

OPEN MIC:

Sign up at http://bit.ly/laraizopenmic

Confirm your presence at the start of the event, when asked (in the first 10 minutes).

Day-of sign ups are first come, first served.

Thank you!

*****

Presented by: Poetry Center San José www.pcsj.org @poetrycentersanjose

Host: Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo

IG: @elizabethjimenezmontelongo / FB: @ejmontelongo

Community Partner: La Raíz Magazine http://laraizmagazine.com

IG: @laraizmagazine / FB: @laraizmag

#culturapoetrynight #pcsj #laraizmagazine #multilingualpoetry #poesiabilingue #indigenouspoetry #chicanopoetry #poetasenvivo #poetsofcolor #laculturacura #poetry #poesía

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day TWO of our four-day festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

This event is free to all youth aged 19 and under and to those with a festival pass. $25 for general public and $20 for PCSJ Members. Admission may be purchased at the door. Doors open at 7:30pm. Show begins at 8pm

FRIDAY NIGHT!

Our second night of poetry brings together three voices from three cultures from across California. A wondrous, eclectic trio! Tonight's poets are Kim Addonizio, Jaz Sufi and Joseph Rios! Not to be missed!

Kim Addonizio is the author of eight poetry collections, two novels, two story collections, and two books on writing poetry: The Poet’s Companion (with Dorianne Laux) and Ordinary Genius. Her poetry collection Tell Me was a finalist for the National Book Award. She also has two word/music CDS: Swearing, Smoking, Drinking, & Kissing (with Susan Browne) and My Black Angel, the companion to My Black Angel: Blues Poems and Portraits, a collaboration with woodcut artist Charles D. Jones. Her poetry has been translated into several languages including Spanish, Arabic, Italian, and Hungarian. Collections have been published in China, Spain, Mexico, Lebanon, and the UK. Addonizio’s awards include two fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim, two Pushcart Prizes, and other honors. Her latest books are a poetry collection, Mortal Trash (W.W. Norton), and a memoir, Bukowski in a Sundress: Confessions from a Writing Life (Penguin). Now We’re Getting Somewhere (March 2021) and Exit Opera (2024) were published by W.W. Norton. More at kimaddonizio.com

Jaz Sufi (she/her) is a queer Iranian-American poet and arts educator. She is a National Poetry Slam finalist and the former executive director of the Berkeley Slam, the longest running poetry slam on the West Coast. She has toured internationally, from Berlin and London to performing alongside the Townsend Opera. Her work has been published or is upcoming in Best New Poets, Best of the Net, AGNI, Black Warrior Review, Muzzle, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from Kundiman, the Watering Hole, and New York University, where she received her MFA as a Goldwater fellow. She has taught in K-12 and college classrooms across the country, and works as a teaching artist with Bay Area Creative. She is the current Poet Laureate of San Ramon on occupied Ohlone land, where she lives with her dog, Apollo. More at jazsufi.com

Joseph Rios was born in the San Joaquin Valley in 1987. He is a Xicano writer and the author of Shadowboxing: Poems & Impersonations (Omnidawn, 2017), winner of a 2018 American Book Award. A Wallace Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford University, Rios is the recipient of scholarships and fellowships from Community of Writers, CantoMundo, Letras Latinas, and the California Arts Council. He was named one of the "10 Poets Who Will Change the World" by Poets & Writers Magazine for 2017. He is a VONA alumnus and a Macondo Fellow. He's been a gardener, a janitor, a packing house supervisor, and a handyman. Rios lives on Yokuts land in Fresno, California, where he serves as poet laureate. In 2024, he received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. 

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events. 
Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

This event is free to the public. Zoom opens at 9:45am. Workshop begins at 10:00am.

Palabras & Poetry: Zapatista Principles
To Serve Others, Not Serve Oneself
Saturday, September 27, 2025 10:00am-11:30pm via Zoom

This workshop is presented by Poetry Center San José, in partnership with La Raíz Magazine, facilitated by Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo.

Palabras & Poetry: Zapatista Principles is a bilingual generative poetry workshop inspired by the seven principles of the Zapatistas of the EZLN, Indigenous peoples of Chiapas, México. 7 Principles: 1. To Obey, Not Command, 2. To Propose, Not Impose, 3. To Represent, Not Supplant, 4. To Convince, Not Conquer, 5. To Construct, Not Destroy, 6.To Serve Others, Not Serve Oneself, 7. To Work From Below, Not Seek To Rise. Participants will be guided to write poetry in an interactive workshop featuring three segments of sample poetry, a prompt, verse starters, and sample verses. Everyone will be welcome to share their poetry aloud with the group and comment. The workshop is open to writers of all ages with any level of experience and is a continuation of the theme, with new content.

Palabras & Poetry: Zapatista Principles es un taller de poesía generativo, inspirado por los siete principios de los Zapatistas del EZLN, gente indígena de Chiapas, México. Los siete principios: Obedecer y No Mandar; Proponer y No Imponer; Representar y No Suplantar; Convencer y No Vencer; Construir y No Destruir; Servir y No Servirse; Bajar y No Subir. Se guiará a los participantes a escribir poesía en un taller interactivo con tres segmentos de poesía de ejemplo, entrada, versos para completar, y versos de ejemplo. Todos seran bienvenidos a compartir su poesía con el grupo y ofrecer comentarios. El taller es para escritores de todas edades y cualquier nivel de experiencia.

Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo is a poet, visual artist, and facilitator. She is Xicana Mexican of Indigenous descent. She served as 2021 Creative Ambassador of the San José Office of Cultural Affairs is a California Arts Council and YBCA Creative Corps Initiative Grantee and has facilitated generative poetry workshops for universities and non-profit organizations. Elizabeth earned a BFA in Art and a BA in French from San José State University. She is a Board Member of Poetry Center San José and Editor of La Raíz Magazine. www.ejmontelongo.com/poetry

Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo es poeta, artista plástica y facilitadora Xicana Mexicana de herencia indígena. Fué nombrada embajadora creativa de la oficina de asuntos culturales de San José, y tambien seleccionada para el programa del concilio de arte de California y YBCA, Creative Corps Initiative. Ella há facilitado talleres de poesía para universidades y organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Elizabeth recibió licenciaturas en arte y frances de la universidad estatal de San José. Es miembra de la mesa directiva de Poetry Center San José y editora y directora de La Raíz Magazine, una publicación bilingüe.

Instagram: @elizabethjimenezmontelongo Facebook: @ejmontelongo

La Raíz Magazine provides culturally-relevant, generative arts engagement experiences and opportunities for the publication and public presentation of creative work, with an emphasis on promoting the expression of people of color, women of color, women & girls, and people whose heritage is rooted in areas that are now Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, who may identify as: Indigenous, Raza, Chicana/o, from their country of origin, Latinx, or Hispanic. www.laraizmagazine.com

La Raíz Magazine provee oportunidades para participar en el arte de manera cultural y generative, también abriendo paso para la publicación y presentación pública de obras creativas, con el enfoque en apoyar la expresión de gente de muchas culturas, mujeres y niñas, particularmente personas con herencia en areas que ahora son México, Centro América, el Caribe, y Sur América, de alguna parte del continente Américano, quienes son gente indígena, de herencia indígena, Raza, Chicana, Latina, o Hispana.

Instagram: @laraizmagazine Facebook: @laraizmag

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#palabrasandpoetry #pcsj #laraizmagazine #generativepoetryworkshop #zoompoetry #poetryworkshop #liberation #multilingualpoetry #poesiabilingue #spanglishpoetry #chicanapoet #chicanopoetry #latinapoets #latinxpoetry #laculturacura #poetry #poesía

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets, workshops and passes!

$50 for general public and $40 for PCSJ Members and youth 19 and under. Admission may be purchased at the door.

Our Guest Facilitator!

Kim Addonizio is the author of eight poetry collections, two novels, two story collections, and two books on writing poetry: The Poet’s Companion (with Dorianne Laux) and Ordinary Genius. Her poetry collection Tell Me was a finalist for the National Book Award. She also has two word/music CDS: Swearing, Smoking, Drinking, & Kissing (with Susan Browne) and My Black Angel, the companion to My Black Angel: Blues Poems and Portraits, a collaboration with woodcut artist Charles D. Jones. Her poetry has been translated into several languages including Spanish, Arabic, Italian, and Hungarian. Collections have been published in China, Spain, Mexico, Lebanon, and the UK. Addonizio’s awards include two fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim, two Pushcart Prizes, and other honors. Her latest books are a poetry collection, Mortal Trash (W.W. Norton), and a memoir, Bukowski in a Sundress: Confessions from a Writing Life (Penguin). Now We’re Getting Somewhere (March 2021) and Exit Opera (2024) were published by W.W. Norton. More at kimaddonizio.com

Workshop description to come…

Paper, pens and pencils will be provided, but we recommend that you bring everything you need to have the best possible writing session. We expect a large attendance, so we will likely hold the workshop outside under the big oak tree in front of Markham House. You are welcome to use the house to find a comfortable place to write. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets, workshops and passes!

Admission to this Zoom event is free to the public. You must reserve a ticket to get the Zoom link in your email.

Join us for poetry from five amazing Black Women Poets Laureate!

Hosted by Tshaka Campbell, Santa Clara County’s first Black Poet Laureate.

KaNikki Jakarta has been featured on NBC, WUSA9 and Comcast. She is the Inaugural Poet In Residence for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association. She is an Award-Winning Performance Poet and an Amazon Best Selling Author who has toured the US and the UK. KaNikki is the First Black Poet Laureate of Alexandria, Virginia, the author of three novels, two poetry collections, a memoir, a short story, poetry collection entitled ALABAMA GIRL, VIRGINIA WOMAN. She can be found on social media platform @kanikkiJ

Promotional Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PwPUqm3RN

Poet, teacher, and librarian, Jennifer Bartell Boykin is the Poet Laureate of the City of Columbia, South Carolina. She received an MFA and MLIS from the University of South Carolina. Her debut book of poetry is Traveling Mercy (Finishing Line Press, 2023) and features the Bluefield community, which is in Johnsonville, SC. Her second book Only Believe (The Word Works, 2024) won the 2023 Hilary Tham Capital Collection Prize. An alumna of Agnes Scott College, Jennifer is an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellow and has additional fellowships from Callaloo and The Watering Hole. She is a school librarian at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC and is the founder of the Soda City Poetry Festiva

Rhea Carmon is a poet, motivational speaker, teacher and the founder of the 5th Woman Poetry Collective. She is the author of several chapbooks, including Let the Sun Shine In (Iris Press, 2022); Through the Clouds (2019) and Solar Flares (2015). She has directed the 5th Woman On Stage since 2015 and created the 5th Woman Fellowship in 2017 to mentor poets. Her awards include the 2019 East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame for Poetry and 2017 Community Shares Award for Artist of Change. Rhea is the first African American Poet Laureate of Knoxville, TN. During her service, she wrote a spoken-word symphony and performed Vivaldi Reimagined with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She is constantly using poetry as a conduit for inspiration and creating space for conversations about current issues of social change and justice.

Knoxville Poet Laureate Emerita | The 5th Woman, Executive Director | RheaSunshine Poetry, motivational poet/mentor

Tama Brisbane is Stockton’s Poet Laureate Emerita, having served four historic terms from 2015-2023, and presenting well over 300 times, including the inauguration of the city’s first Black Mayor, Michael Tubbs. Her Guest Poet performances at The King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church led Martin Luther King III to say to her, “your words matter.” Her peace poems have been translated by the UN as part of its International Day of Peace, and reside in the personal collection of Beatle Ringo Star. She is co-founder of The Expression Lab, a literary arts project in Zambia that now reaches high school students in 3 cities.

“Mama T” is a published author, a Susan B. Anthony Award Winner for Creative Arts, a Black Women Organized for Political Action Honoree, a University of the Pacific Woman of Distinction, an Action on Behalf of Children Honoree, and a founding member of the National Black Poet Laureates Society. Her tireless efforts on behalf of youth – particularly those of color and from marginalized communities – have been celebrated and recognized by both houses of the California Legislature, by the United States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.

Chasity Gunn Poet Laureate of Elgin, Illinois, 2019-2022
Chasity Gunn is a native of northwest Alabama. She received her MFA from Hamline University and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. The author of How to Create a World (2018), her spoken word has been featured in the Bedlam Theatre’s 10X10 Fest and the Elgin Fringe Festival. A VONA summer workshop participant, she was awarded a Teach for Justice grant from Teachers Pay Teachers and a Cultural Arts Commission grant from the city of Elgin. Gunn is an English professor at Elgin Community College and the inaugural poet laureate of Elgin, Illinois. In 2021, she received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship.

Tshaka Campbell is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored four books of poetry entitled “TARMAN”, “MUTED WHISPERS”, “STUFF, I will write more”, “TUNNEL VISION'' and is latest book published by El Martilo press entitled “BLOOD AT THE ROOT. ” His words have been featured in Bridges Review, BBC UK, Content magazine, Speakeasy vol 1, Liminal Animals, Rigorous magazine, among others. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the De young museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, as well sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature. He has 4 spoken word albums entitled "ONE", “BLOODLINES”, "SKIN vol.1"; and his most recent release "NKISI" is currently available on all streaming platforms.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day TWO of our four-day festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

Reserve a seat for this workshop. $35 for general public and $25 for PCSJ Members and youth 19 and under. Admission may be purchased at the door.

OUR FACILITATOR!

Jaz Sufi (she/her) is a queer Iranian-American poet and arts educator. She is a National Poetry Slam finalist and the former executive director of the Berkeley Slam, the longest running poetry slam on the West Coast. She has toured internationally, from Berlin and London to performing alongside the Townsend Opera. Her work has been published or is upcoming in Best New Poets, Best of the Net, AGNI, Black Warrior Review, Muzzle, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from Kundiman, the Watering Hole, and New York University, where she received her MFA as a Goldwater fellow. She has taught in K-12 and college classrooms across the country, and works as a teaching artist with Bay Area Creative. She is the current Poet Laureate of San Ramon on occupied Ohlone land, where she lives with her dog, Apollo. More at jazsufi.com

Workshop description to come.

Paper, pens and pencils will be provided, but we recommend that you bring everything you need to have the best possible writing session. We expect a large attendance, so we will likely hold the workshop outside under the big oak tree in front of Markham House. You are welcome to use the house to find a comfortable place to write. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events. 
Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

Bauchhaar’s Poetry ‘n’ Movement

(Interpretation of Poetry through various dance forms)

Not Pictured: Music performed by Sparsh Johri (Piano), Prasad Jogalekar (Sitar), Rishabh Sabu (Flute), Brajesh Kumar

Anshu Johri authors short stories, poems, and plays in Hindi and English. She has published three poetry and short story collections in Hindi, and a short story collection “Scareped” in English. Her work in English has appeared in “SAGE”, “Caesura”, “Soul-Lit”, “Dukool”, “Vine Leaves Literary Journal”, “Calliope”, and “Creation and Criticism”. She is a hardware engineer with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from San Jose State University. She is on the advisory board of Poetry Center San Jose and is the curator of “Bauchhaar,” a monthly reading series. Her work is available on Amazon, Kindle, Audible, and Apple Books worldwide. https://www.amazon.com/Anshu-Johri/e/B00N5KJUXK

Poppy Charnalia is an established poet and artist based in Lexington, Massachusetts. She writes in English and Hindi. In 2018, she launched her poetry book ‘Yeh Sach Anwarat’ at the DeCordova Contemporary Art Museum. 

She recently exhibited at the May 2023 Cannes Film Festival Contemporary Art Biennial and at the Louvre in Paris in October 2024. Her upcoming art exhibitions are in Boston, New York,  Rome, Venice, London, and  Switzerland in 2026

Now, a retired investment professional, she volunteers to help families with investment portfolios. She attempts to raise funds and awareness for Autism through her art and poetry. 

Kalpana Singh-Chitnis is an Indian-American poet, filmmaker, and author of seven poetry collections, including Trespassing My Ancestral Lands (Finishing Line Press, 2024); LoveLetters to Ukraine from Uyava, a 2023 International Book Awards finalist and the winner of the prestigious Hryhorii Kochur Award, a State Award of Ukraine, for its Ukrainian translation; and Bare Soul, recipient of the 2017 Naji Naaman Literary Prize. Her work has appeared in notable journals such as World Literature Today, Columbia Journal, Tupelo Quarterly, The Los Angeles Review, Poetry International, Indian Literature, and Stanford University's Life in Quarantine.

Her poems and poetry film were archived in the Lunar Codex, landed on the moon with NASA–SpaceX–Intuitive Machines and Aerospace Firefly missions in 2024 and 2025. Website: www.kalpnasinghchitnis.com

Monica Korde is a poet, artist and community builder amplifying youth voices and cultural connection. As founder of Project POETRY 360, she creates spaces where BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, AAPI, and immigrant voices thrive through movement, music, and verse. Her practice bridges poetry and performance, inviting audiences to engage deeply with identity, belonging, and collective creativity. Appointed in 2021 as the Poet Laureate of Belmont, California, Monica is proud to be the city’s first South Asian immigrant to hold the title.

Saswati Das, an engineer by profession and a poet by heart, lives in the Silicon Valley. She writes poems in English, Bengali, and Hindi and aspires to touch human lives through poetry. Her published works include a poetry collection 

in English, “Fragrant Flute of Fire”, and another in Hindi, “Kalpanain”. She has performed her poetry in various reading series in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 Chandreyee Mukherjee began her classical Manipuri training at age six under Guru Debjani Chaliha in Kolkata. She later studied Odissi under Guru Niharika Mohanty in the US. Chandreyee has performed extensively in India and the US and is passionate about experimenting with traditional forms as a creative vocabulary of expression. Actively involved in Bay Area theatrical and dance productions. She has choreographed and directed several productions and collaborative artistic initiatives.

Dipanvita Sengupta has a Master’s in Engineering and a Bachelor's in Kathak. She is the founder-director of "California Nupur Dance Academy". 

A member of the International Dance Council, she has received a certificate of Special Congressional recognition from the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, “Naari-Celebration of Women” Award from the Association of Indo-Americans, and the Indian Consul General, a gold US Presidential award.

Dipanwita is regularly invited to lecture on Kathak at UCSC. 

Lauren Baines is a choreographer, performer, and nonprofit arts leader whose work has been presented throughout the Bay Area, in New York, and internationally. She holds an MFA in Dance/Choreography from Mills College and BA and BS degrees in Theatre Arts (Dance Emphasis), Art History, and Psychology from Santa Clara University.

Pragya Dasgupta, founder of Tarana Dance Academy, is a gold medalist Kathak artist and holds the prestigious “Sangit Praveen” title from Prayag Sangit Samiti. She has received awards, including Kala Bharati, the President's Volunteer Service Award, and Jayavarman IV (honoring the Cambodian king). Pragya has choreographed acclaimed productions like Mahabharat, Geet Ramayan, and Meera. Her work has earned widespread recognition, and she has been featured in interviews with Radio Mirchi USA, Comcast TV, and Doordarshan India.

Saheli Ghosh began dancing at age 3, trained in Bharatanatyam, and later studied Uday Shankar Dance Style under Smt. Mamata Shankar for 15 years. This has helped her perceive dance as a medium of emoting and storytelling. She also explored Manipuri and Indian folk dance. Although known for her forte in expressive style and bold movements, folk dance is still the closest to her heart. Saheli is actively involved in Bay Area dance productions and loves the stage.

Aynakus (Poetry itself)

Aynakus is an artist, performer, and animal lover. Non-believer in picture promotion, so stop by to check her performance. :-) 

Sangita Das, a dedicated Kathak artist of the Lucknow Gharana, trained under Kathak Maestro NrityaSiromani Guru Bandana Sen and Guru Suchandra Banerjee. She is the founder of Kathak Kala Vihar (2005, Bay Area) and brings over 20 years of teaching experience. An early childhood special educator, she has performed internationally in Bali, Morocco, Greece, Sri Lanka, and India, promoting inclusive arts education and personal growth through dance.

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Check out the complete list of events that are part of the 2025 San José Poetry Festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events and online events.

This event is free to all youth aged 19 and under and to those with a festival pass. $25 for general public and $20 for PCSJ Members. Admission may be purchased at the door.

Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

Doors open at 6:30pm. Show begins at 7pm.

2025-26 SCC Youth Poet Laureate Commencement

Note: Due to limited space, Hillbrook School Parents and Students must select the complimentary ticket from the dropdown menu. This is so that we can ensure seating for all ticketed attendees.

This is Day Three of our four-day festival! Check out the complete list of events that are part of the 2025 San José Poetry Festival! Our festival pass will get you into all live events and online events. Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets and passes!

$25 for general public and $20 for PCSJ Members. Admission may be purchased at the door.

Doors open at 7:30pm. Show begins at 8pm.

2025-26 SCC YOUTH POET LAUREATE COMMENCEMENT!
Our third night of poetry introduces Santa Clara County to the incoming Youth Poet Laureate and 2025 finalists! Outgoing YPL Sage Cobb (24-25) will also read a couple of poems and pass the baton. The new YPL will be announced on the SCC YPL Instagram. Featuring special guest poet, Lucia Misch and hosted by Yosimar Reyes, current SCC Poet Laureate. Note: In 2005, Lucia and Yosimar were students together through MACLA's poetry and spoken word workshops.

Tonight's Poets

Lucia Misch is a writer, performer and facilitator from unceded Muwekma Ohlone land. Lucia's spoken word poetry has found a home everywhere from historic theaters to high school auditoriums, and their first collection of poetry, The Problem With Solitaire, was released by Write Bloody North in 2020.

Yosimar Reyes
Hailing from East San José by way of Guerrero, Mexico, Reyes quickly made a name for himself at the tender age of sixteen, exploding onto local Bay Area stages and captivating his audiences with deeply moving spoken word performances.

Reyes’ repertoire has since evolved to include nationally-acclaimed keynotes, writing workshops, and his one-man show, Prieto, a coming-of-age story that explores subjects like migration, sexuality, and socio-economic struggle—all while empowering his audiences to tap into their own creative potential.

His achievements don’t stop there. In addition to being the first-ever undocumented poet to achieve Santa Clara County Poet Laureate status, Reyes was chosen to be a 2024 Creative Ambassador by the City of San José, The Advocate named him one of "13 LGBT Latinos Changing the World," and Remezcla included him on their list of "10 Up And Coming Latinx Poets You Need To Know."

Amongst numerous accolades, Reyes has been awarded a NALAC Catalyst for Change Grant (2020), a Gerbode Foundation Grant and most recently, a Walter & Elise Haas Creative Work Fund Grant (2023). His writing has appeared in publications such as MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry, Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings and forthcoming UndocuPoetics.

YOUTH POET FINALISTS (APPEARANCE TO BE DETERMINED)

Rebecca Cai: Rebecca Cai is a Chinese-American poet from the Bay Area. Her writing has been recognized by DePaul’s Blue Book, Hollins University, Scholastic Art & Writing and more. She is an alum of the Adroit Writing Mentorship, Kenyon Young Writers' Workshop, and the SUNHOUSE writing mentorship. Outside of writing, Rebecca is always talking—in speech, mock trial, and with her friends/family.

Helen Gu: Bio to come.

Laya Krishnan: Laya Krishnan is a senior at Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose. Her poetry, largely inspired by her own experiences as a daughter of immigrants and an advocate for social justice, explores themes of loss, joy, and paradox. She has been published in International Policy Digest and selected for the Kenyon Review's Young Writers Workshops. Laya hopes her work can create a language of connection, making poetry a home for aspiring young voices.

Ashley Mo: Bio to come.

Kurn Sundaram is a performance poet based in Northern California. He has been published by PWU, The Battering Ram, The Outlook, WEIGHT Journal, Paper Crane, and more, and was named a 2024 YoungArts Winner in spoken word. Additionally, he has been recognized by the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, and the Los Gatos Poet Laureate. He is the founder & editor-in-chief of JADE&COMPASS, a literary magazine that advocates for marginalized voices across the globe. When he isn't writing, you can catch him watching a show he will never complete.

Ariel Zhang: Bio to come.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.

This is Day Four of our four-day festival! Check out the complete list of events that are part of the 2025 San José Poetry Festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets, workshops and passes!

Admission is free to the public.

Come tour our headquarters at Markham House in the serene comfort of History Park. Peruse the books and wears by publishers from around California, listen to the poetry open mic, and stick around for a writing workshop with Lucia Misch at the end of the fair! Reserve your workshop seat here.

If you’d like to read a poem in the open mic, be sure to sign up with Mighty Mike in person.

Small Presses & Publishers Tabling:

• Swan Scythe Press

• Sampaguita Press

• Thinking Ink Press

• Tourane Poetry Press

• Veterans of Life Write

• and more!

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible

This is Day Four of our four-day festival! Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets, workshops and passes!

$35 for general public and $25 for PCSJ Members and youth. Admission may be purchased at the door.

Our Guest Facilitator!

Lucia Misch is a writer, performer and facilitator from unceded Muwekma Ohlone land. Lucia's spoken word poetry has found a home everywhere from historic theaters to high school auditoriums, and their first collection of poetry,The Problem With Solitaire, was released by Write Bloody North in 2020.

Workshop: Nothing Really Matters

How do we write when it feels like we have nothing to write about? 

Nothing Really Matters is about learning to notice the eloquence of the everyday, find meaning in the mundane, express the urgency of the unremarkable, and make the personal profound. Offering prompts, process, discussion, and discovery, this generative workshop provides a set of tools for turning "nothing" into the perfect place to start.

Paper, pens and pencils will be provided, but we recommend that you bring everything you need to have the best possible writing session. We expect a large attendance, so we will likely hold the workshop outside under the big oak tree in front of Markham House. You are welcome to use the house to find a comfortable place to write. Coffee and tea will be provided.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible

This is the final event of our four-day festival! Free to the public.

Click here to peruse all 2025 San José Poetry Festival tickets, workshops and passes!

Close out the 2025 Festival with us!

We will welcome the evening at Markham House with snacks and beverages. No readings, no workshops, nothing planned. Maybe we’ll play some tunes, maybe we’ll sit on the porch. A little conversation and decompression. We’ll see where the evening takes us!

Parking will be available for $6 in the Kelly Park Parking Lot at 1650 Senter Road. See map below.

Follow Poetry Center San José on Facebook and Instagram for announcements about other amazing South Bay poetry events happening throughout the rest of the year. Help support Poetry Center San José by becoming a member.

San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible

Poetry Center San José presents San José Poetry Slam Zoom Edition

Come join us for poetry from the comfort of your own home.

Sunday, September 28, 2025
Room opens at 6:30p.m. (PST)
Sign up list will be open from 6:30 to 7:00p.m.
Slam starts at 7:00p.m.

Admission is free! Get your ticket here.

Hosted by 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.) there is a 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.