Third Thursdays is a monthly poetry program in partnership with Poetry Center San Jose and hosted by Mighty Mike McGee!

Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Ave, San José, 95125

Sign up for the open mic begins at 6:30pm. Featured poet begins shortly after 7pm. Open mic to follow.

Poetry Center San José presents featured poet Brandon Luu!

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. For him, poetry is an opportunity to bring people together, regardless of age or circumstance. "Through language, we attempt to make sense of the human condition, and from there, we begin to understand each other."

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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.

For those under 18 years of age who may be attending, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the program.

Please observe our Safety Guidelines.

To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2355 or email Accessibility@sjlibrary.org at least three business days prior to the event

Poets@Play is a monthly writing workshop in partnership with Poetry Center San Jose.

Edwin Markham House @ History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95112

Poetry Center San José presents Poets@Play with facilitator David Perez!

Poets may share a favorite poem by another poet, or one of their own, followed by a writing workshop. Please bring the tools you will need to write.

Facilitators biographical below info.

We will do our best to establish a safe space free of hate speech but also stay open to people's fears and real dialogue if it is needed.

Admission is FREE.

Free parking near entrance gate and in the lot at the end of Phelan Avenue.

Please enter History Park from the Phelan Avenue side. Questions? Call 408-368-0353

RSVP recommended but not required: programming@pcsj.org

Meet David!

David Perez served as the 2014-2016 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate. He is a repeat guest on the NPR storytelling series, Snap Judgment and a recipient of the Arts Council Silicon Valley Fellowship for Literary Art. He is the author of "Love in a Time of Robot Apocalypse" from Write Bloody Publishing. David has taught creative writing at San Jose State University and literature at Ohlone College. He lives in San Jose, California.

David's favorite quote lately is this pearl from Sylvia Plath: “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.” He'll bring an unwavering belief in the truth of this statement to Markham House at the next Poets@Play. He'll also be ready to facilitate a writing exercise to help participants reach into their memories, find the bits that want to be written about, and start honing them into the beginnings of a poem. That said, feel free to bring something you've already written to share with the group. If we have rough drafts to review, we'll definitely make time for them.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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.

For those under 18 years of age who may be attending, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the program.

Learn more about History Park through History San Jose.

Third Thursdays is a monthly poetry program in partnership with Poetry Center San Jose and hosted by Mighty Mike McGee!

Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Ave, San José, 95125

Sign up for the open mic begins at 6:30pm. Featured poet begins shortly after 7pm. Open mic to follow.

Poetry Center San José presents featured poet Keana Aguila Labra!

Keana Aguila Labra (they/them/she/her) is a Cebuana Tagalog Filipinx genre- and genderfluid poet, book reviewer, editor, and writer in diaspora residing on stolen Ohlone Tamyen land. She works to provide a safe literary space for underserved and underrepresented communities as Editor-in-Chief of literary magazine Marías at Sampaguitas and co-Founder of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ focused independent publishing house, Sampaguita Press. They are also the co-director of the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate Program with Janice Lobo Sapigao and Karla Reyes-Santiago. She served as one of the Honorary Santa Clara County Poets Laureate in October 2021 along with Lorenz Mazon Dumuk. Her poetry was nominated for Best of Net in 2019 and 2020. Currently, they work to bring jazz education to the students of the Franklin-McKinley District with nonprofit San José Jazz. She is the author of the books,  Natalie (Nightingale & Sparrow, 2020), No Saints (Lazy Adventurer Press, 2020), Mohilak (2021), (I am) Still (Self-Published, 2021) and Kanunay (2022). More of her work may be found on Substack. Her poetry may be heard here.

https://keana.journoportfolio.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.

For those under 18 years of age who may be attending, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the program.

Please observe our Safety Guidelines.

To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2355 or email Accessibility@sjlibrary.org at least three business days prior to the event

Poets@Play is a monthly writing workshop in partnership with Poetry Center San Jose.

Edwin Markham House @ History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95112

Poetry Center San José presents Poets@Play with facilitators Harvey Gray and Wil Gibson!

Poets may share a favorite poem by another poet, or one of their own, followed by a writing workshop. Please bring the tools you will need to write.

Facilitators biographical below info.

We will do our best to establish a safe space free of hate speech but also stay open to people's fears and real dialogue if it is needed.

Admission is FREE.

Free parking in the Staff/Volunteer lot on Phelan Avenue.

Please enter History Park from the Phelan Avenue side. Questions? Call 408-368-0353

RSVP recommended but not required: programming@pcsj.org

Meet Harvey and Wil!

Unrelated Issues started in a middle school writing group where Wil was a teacher and Harvey was a student. Then Wil met and married Harvey’s Mom, Susanna. Then Wil became Dad. Then son became the Youth Poet Laureate of their town. Then dad became the adult Poet Laureate of their town. Then they all put on a couple annual poetry festivals.

Then dad & son decided to go on a poetry tour… that pretty much gets us up to date.

Harvey Gray Mitchell is combination perma-teenager/poet from the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation who enjoys reading Vonnegut, watching Romero zombie movies, and bothering his younger sister. He has lived in Humboldt Country all his life. He served as the Eureka youth poet laureate for two years (2018-2020) and attended Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University for one year (2022-2023). He writes poetry about adolescence, trauma, resilience, queerness, and, ultimately, love.

Harvey has an eye for subtext and syntax far beyond their 20 years, has published 4 chapbooks of their work and have an upcoming full length collection with Swimming With Elephants Publications.

Harvey loves his family more than anything. Everything he writes is for them.

Wil Gibson has been touring the country for the better part of 20 years; poeming across the country with a revolving cast of tourmates, this tour might be his proudest because he gets to alongside his son, who also happens to be one of his best friends. He is a proud partner, father, and grandfather, currently the Eureka, CA Poet Laureate, and is and is co-director of ReWorded Poetry & Entertainment alongside his loving and patient partner (in all things) Susanna.

He has opened for or shared stage with Andrea Gibson (no relation), Buddy Wakefield, Brother Ali, Mybrightestdiamond, Charlie Neville, & Kurtis Blow.

Together, they put on a unique, truthful, passionate, & artistic poetry show that explores parenthood, childhood, & friendship.
For booking contact unrelatedissues@wilgibson.com currently booking January and February 2024 for the West Coast.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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.

For those under 18 years of age who may be attending, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the program.

Learn more about History Park through History San Jose.

Third Thursdays is a monthly poetry program in partnership with Poetry Center San Jose and hosted by Mighty Mike McGee!

Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Ave, San José, 95125

Sign up for the open mic begins at 6:30pm. Featured poet begins shortly after 7pm. Open mic to follow.

Poetry Center San José presents featured poets Harvey Gray and Wil Gibson!

Unrelated Issues started in a middle school writing group where Wil was a teacher and Harvey was a student. Then Wil met and married Harvey’s Mom, Susanna. Then Wil became Dad. Then son became the Youth Poet Laureate of their town. Then dad became the adult Poet Laureate of their town. Then they all put on a couple annual poetry festivals.

Then dad & son decided to go on a poetry tour… that pretty much gets us up to date.

Harvey Gray Mitchell is combination perma-teenager/poet from the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation who enjoys reading Vonnegut, watching Romero zombie movies, and bothering his younger sister. He has lived in Humboldt Country all his life. He served as the Eureka youth poet laureate for two years (2018-2020) and attended Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University for one year (2022-2023). He writes poetry about adolescence, trauma, resilience, queerness, and, ultimately, love.
Harvey has an eye for subtext and syntax far beyond their 20 years, has published 4 chapbooks of their work and have an upcoming full length collection with Swimming With Elephants Publications.

Harvey loves his family more than anything. Everything he writes is for them.

Wil Gibson has been touring the country for the better part of 20 years; poeming across the country with a revolving cast of tourmates, this tour might be his proudest because he gets to alongside his son, who also happens to be one of his best friends. He is a proud partner, father, and grandfather, currently the Eureka, CA Poet Laureate, and is and is co-director of ReWorded Poetry & Entertainment alongside his loving and patient partner (in all things) Susanna.

He has opened for or shared stage with Andrea Gibson (no relation), Buddy Wakefield, Brother Ali, Mybrightestdiamond, Charlie Neville, & Kurtis Blow.

Together, they put on a unique, truthful, passionate, & artistic poetry show that explores parenthood, childhood, & friendship.
For booking contact unrelatedissues@wilgibson.com currently booking January and February 2024 for the West Coast.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

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.

For those under 18 years of age who may be attending, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the program.

Please observe our Safety Guidelines.

To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2355 or email Accessibility@sjlibrary.org at least three business days prior to the event