Poets@Play Creative Writing Workshop with Sally Ashton
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: Sally Ashton!
Former Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Sally Ashton is the author of five books of poetry including most recently Listening to Mars. She specializes in brief forms across genres. Her poem “4.6 Billion Years” is now archived with the Lunar Codex on the Moon. Going to the Moon, a book of personal essays exploring her personal experiences and the race to space, is forthcoming from Duke University Press. www.sallyashton.com
Workshop Description
Writing an Ode
Celebration is an act of resistance, a dear friend recently reminded me. It’s also fun. Let’s take a break from any worries and write an ode: that is, a poem of praise and celebration. This too will be fun and appropriate for the beginning of Thanksgiving week. So come on down to Markham house, pencil and paper in hand, where we shall make some joyful noises together.
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.
Poets@Play Creative Writing Workshop with Olga Rosales Salinas
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: Olga Rosales Salinas!
From olgars.com/about
I'm Olga, an editor and freelance writer who produces poetry, short stories, and essays. I am the Managing Editor for San Francisco Bay Area Moms, where I also host a podcast called Hella MomVersations. My bylines have appeared in palabra, by National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Voices of Monterey Bay (VOMB), Jumble & Flow, and others. My debut collection of poetry and prose, La Llorona, was published by Birch Bench Press.
In October of 2022, THINK/NPR and host Krys Boyd, interviewed me about How Latino culture can make it hard to talk about mental health. We discussed my article, Los Curiosos, published by palabra.
My philanthropy and activism started in 2019 with a non-profit benefiting first-generation and immigrant students, The Rosales Sisters' Scholarship. Since then, the Rosales Sisters' Scholarship has raised $50,000. As the President and Co-Founder of this organization, I am proud of what we've accomplished so far, and I'm excited about our future.
I am passionate about all my creative endeavors, including motherhood, mental health, fitness, writing, and wife life.
Workshop Description
Description to come.
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.
Poets@Play Creative Writing Workshop with Arlene Biala
Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Emeritus Arlene Biala will teach your soul!
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.
Poets@Play Creative Writing Workshop with Brandon Luu
Our friend Brandon Luu will soothe us with his perfect voice and inspire us to create!
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
Brandon Luu is a poet from San Jose, California. He received his Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from San Jose State University, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of Poetry Center San Jose. He also served as a 2022 Creative Ambassador for the City of San Jose.
Workshop Description:
"Breathing Life into Poems" is a performance workshop that explores an alternative way of appreciating poetry and writing. How do you want to read a poem vs. how does a poem want to be read? Learn about the different techniques that readers use to enhance the experience of reading out loud and try them for yourself!
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.