Poetry in Davis

Poet William O’Daly and musician Christopher Yohmei Blasdel perform at Poetry Night in Davis on June 4, 2026.

Andy Jones — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:12:57 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, June 4, 2026, Poetry Night will feature the poet William O’Daly and the musician Christopher Yohmei Blasdel. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for June 4 will be William O’Daly.

O’Daly’s published works include eight books of translation of the late-career and posthumous poetry of Chilean Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda (Still Another Day, The Separate Rose, Winter Garden, The Sea and the Bells, The Yellow Heart, The Book of Questions, The Hands of Day, and World’s End), and Neruda’s first volume, Book of Twilight — all published by Copper Canyon Press. Book of Twilight was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award in Translation of Poetry for 2018. With the Chinese writer Han-ping Chin, he co-authored a historical novel, This Earthly Life, set amid the fascinating and deadly Chinese Cultural Revolution. This Earthly Life was selected a “Finalist” in Narrative magazine’s 2009 Fall Story Contest. The manuscript remains unpublished.

His most recent book of poems, The New Gods, was published by Beltway Editions in September 2022. Other books of poems include Yarrow and Smoke, Waterways (a collaboration with JS Graustein), and The Road to Isla Negra, all three published by Folded Word Press, and The Whale in the Web published by Copper Canyon Press. In March 2023, the Los Angeles Master Chorale included three poems from The New Gods and one from Water Ways in the world premiere of Reena Esmail’s “Malhaar: A Requiem for Water,” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Currently residing in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California, O’Daly retired in December, 2024 from the California Department of Water Resources where he was Supervisor of Technical Publications and Lead Writer for the California Water Plan, the state’s strategic plan for sustainably and equitably managing water resources.

Performing with O’Daly will be the renowned musician Christopher Yohemi Blasdel.

Christopher Yohmei Blasdel graduated with a BFA degree from Earlham College in 1974. While an exchange student in Japan, he began the shakuhachi and studies of Japanese music in 1972 with Living National Treasure Goro Yamaguchi. In 1982 he received an MFA in ethnomusicology from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and was accredited as a shihan shakuhachi master by Yamaguchi, receiving the name ‘Yohmei’.

Blasdel balances traditional Shakuhachi music, modern compositions, improvisation, and cross-genre work with musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists in his musical activities. A selection of his CDs, including traditional shakuhachi honkyoku meditative pieces along with contemporary music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services. He performs around the world and has guest lectured at such institutions as Earlham College, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok), Texas A&M University, University of Washington, Charles University (Prague), Cal Arts, International Christian University (Tokyo), University of Maryland and Temple University.

Blasdel has composed and performed music for NHK documentaries and various films and was the Artistic Director of the International House of Japan from 1987 to 2013. He co-organized the Boulder World Shakuhachi Festival ’98 and assisted the Sydney World Shakuhachi Festival in 2008. Christopher also co-founded the Prague Shakuhachi Festival and was senior advisor to the 2025 World Shakuhachi Festival held in Texas, where Blasdel was born. His semi-autobiographical book, The Single Tone—A Personal Journey through Shakuhachi Music (Printed Matter Press, 2005) and The Shakuhachi, A Manual for Learning (1988) are two of Shakuhachi’s most important English language resource books. Both are available on Kindle books.

Blasdel presently lectures at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa and holds a fifth-degree black belt in Aikido.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.; the first featured reader begins at 7 p.m.; open mic starts at 8 p.m. Open mic performers will be asked to limit what they share to two items or four minutes, whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45 p.m. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. We expect open mic favorites Michael Gallowglas, Mercedes Ibañez, Joe Bacchus, and Allegra Silberstein to perform.

Find out more about the Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Encourage your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, see some of his recent essays on Substack: https://andyjones.substack.com/. One post lists the almost 400 poets who have ever featured at the Poetry Night Reading Series. His most recent post concerns an unexpected visit to the UC Davis Medical Center.

Upcoming Poetry Night readers will include Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Dianna Henning, Lara Gularte, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

June 18 — Robin Becker and Danielle LeMay

July 2 — Dianna Henning and Lara Gularte

Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey perform at Poetry Night in Davis on May 21!

Andy Jones — Wed, 20 May 2026 04:23:20 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, Poetry Night will feature the poets Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for May 21 will be Molly Fisk.

Born in San Francisco, poet Molly Fisk earned a BA at Radcliffe College/Harvard University and an MBA at Simmons College Graduate School of Management.

Molly Fisk’s new book, Walking Wheel: Poems, was published by Red Hen Press on April 7, 2026. Fisk is also the author of the poetry collections The More Difficult Beauty (2010), Listening to Winter (2000), and Terrain (1998) and a volume of radio essays, Blow-Drying a Chicken: Observations from a Working Poet (2013).

Fisk’s honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Marin Arts Council, and the California Arts Council as well as a Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize in Poetry, a Dogwood Prize, and a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Fisk served as Nevada County’s poet laureate from 2017 to 2019. She lives in Nevada City, California.

Opening the evening of poetry will be Kirsten Casey.

Kirsten Casey served as Nevada County Poet Laureate from 2021 to 2025. A longtime member of California Poets in the Schools, she also serves as regional coordinator for the organization. She earned her M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Her first full-length poetry collection, Ex Vivo: Out of the Living Body (Hip Pocket Press, 2012), draws on unusual stories, striking language, and the mysteries of the human body. Her recent manuscript, Grieving Birds, which explores historical and literary figures grappling with social media and modern life, was a finalist for the Gunpowder Press Dryden-Vreeland Poetry Prize.

In 2019, Casey taught high school workshops as part of Molly Fisk’s Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship project and co-edited California Fire & Water: A Climate Crisis Anthology, which includes one of her poems. Casey has lived in Nevada City for more than three decades with her husband and is the mother of three grown children, who, she says, patiently assist her with technology.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

Upcoming Poetry Night readers will include Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Dianna Henning, Lara Gularte, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

June 18 — Robin Becker and Danielle LeMay

July 2 — Dianna Henning and Lara Gularte

Open Mic on Friday (not Thursday) May 8th at the John Natsoulas Gallery

Andy Jones — Thu, 07 May 2026 20:52:43 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On a rare Friday (NOT Thursday), May 8, 2026 Poetry Night will feature an extended open mic. We meet at 7 p.m. amongst the sculptures of the John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.; the Friday open mic starts at 7 p.m. Open mic performers will be asked to limit what they share to two items or four minutes, whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45 p.m. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. We expect open mic favorites Michael Gallowglas, Joe Bacchus, Jean Biegun, and Allegra Silberstein to perform.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

June 18 — Robin Becker and Danielle Lemay

July 2 — Dianna Henning and Lara Gularte

Escritores del Nuevo Sol / Writers of the New Sun perform from a new anthology in Davis — join us April 16

Andy Jones — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:19:35 +0000

Poetry Night at the John Natsoulas Gallery
Featuring: Escritores del Nuevo Sol / Writers of the New Sun
Thursday, April 16, 2026

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, Poetry Night will feature the writing group Escritores del Nuevo Sol (Writers of the New Sun). We meet at 7 p.m. inside the John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, our featured readers represent a group with deep roots in the region. Los Escritores del Nuevo Sol emerged from a 1972 literary program at La Raza Galería Posada in Sacramento. Their history traces back to the 1978 “One More Canto” event at the Reno Club, eventually leading to the formal establishment of a writers’ workshop, Taller Literario, in 1993.

The group’s name reflects the 2012 arrival of El Sexto Sol, marking a new world consciousness rooted in the Mesoamerican worldview. Over the decades, Los Escritores has become a cornerstone of the Sacramento literary community, boasting members who have served as Poets Laureate for Sacramento, El Dorado County, and Lodi.

Their latest anthology, Then & Now, reflects the evolving expressions of time and experience through original poetry and prose. While the circle continues to grow, the members also remain dedicated to honoring the memory of those lost since the group’s inception, including co-founder Francisco X. Alarcón.

Event Details:

Time: Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.

Featured Performance: 7:00 p.m.

Open Mic: 8:00 p.m. (Limit: 2 items or 4 minutes).

Note: The open mic list fills up fast, and always by 6:45. Early birds who help set up chairs are guaranteed a spot.

Poetry Night Schedule for 2026

May 7 To be announced
May 21 Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey
June 4 Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel
June 18 Robin Becker and Danielle Lemay
July 2 Dianna Henning and Lara Gularte

Davis poet laureate Mercedes Ibáñez with guitarist Nick Carvajal — join us April 2nd in Davis!

Andy Jones — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:09:10 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, April 2, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the Davis poet laureate Mercedes Ibáñez with guitarist Nick Carvajal. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for April 2 and National Poetry Month will be Mercedes Ibanez.

Mercedes Ibáñez is a poet and retired psychologist who was born in Perú and who has lived in Davis, California since 1976. The author of five books of poetry, Ibáñez won the National Award in Literature (Perú) in 1971. Ibáñez’s translation of Ezra Pound’s “Hugh Selwyn Mauberley” was published in 1973. Her 1977 book Caterpillars/Collective was introduced by Kate Millett. The mother of two daughters, and a grandmother of four, Ibáñez is the current poet laureate of Davis, California and a crowd-favorite at the Poetry Night Reading Series at the Natsoulas Gallery in Davis. Ibáñez’s most recent book of poetry is titled Poems from the Roof.

Performing with Ibanez will be guitarist Nick Carvajal.

Nick Carvajal is a librarian and musician who was born in Chile and is based in Davis, California. Carvajal is active in the regional music community as a performer and collaborator. Known for his work as a guitarist and rhythm-section player, he has performed with more than 20 Northern California musical ensembles. Carvajal has also served as music director for various local stage productions such as a Winters Shakespeare Workshop staging of Twelfth Night.

April is National Poetry Month. Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.; the featured performers begin at 7 p.m.; open mic starts at 8 p.m. Open mic performers will be asked to limit what they share to two items or four minutes, whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45 p.m. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. We expect open mic favorites Michael Gallowglas, Joe Bacchus, and Allegra Silberstein to perform.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Dianna Henning, Lara Gularte, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

June 18 — Robin Becker and Danielle Lemay

Dave Boles and an Extended Open Mic

Andy Jones — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:01:51 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, March 19, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the poet Dave Boles, followed by an extended open mic. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis. Please plan to join us!

Our featured poet for March 19 will be Dave Boles.

Dave Boles has worked as a publisher, writer and designer since 1982. Founder of the alternative literary and visual magazine, Primal Urge, he created Cold River Press in the early 1990s to promote regional writers and artists. He has published, designed, edited and written numerous books, magazines, articles, and periodicals, including the successful yearly anthology VOICES. His publications, editorials, writing, graphic design and artwork have won numerous awards, and he has published such noted writers as D.R. Wagner, A.D. Winans, Charles Plymell, S.A. Griffin, Ben Hiatt, Allegra Silbertstein, Tim Kahl, Susan Kelly DeWitt and many more.

Dave Boles’ most recent book, published in late 2025, is titled 4th Floor: Paranoia, Depression, and Other States of Mind. Please join us for this eye-opening performance!

The rest of the evening will feature an extended Open Mic.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.; the featured poet begins at 7 p.m.; open mic this time will start by about 7:45 p.m. Open mic performers will be asked to limit what they share to two items or four minutes, whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45 p.m. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. We expect open mic favorites Michael Gallowglas, Mercedes Ibañez, Joe Bacchus, and Allegra Silberstein to perform.

Find out more about the Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Encourage your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, see some of his recent essays, including one on his recent birthday celebrations, on Substack: https://andyjones.substack.com/. One post lists the almost 400 poets who have ever featured at the Poetry Night Reading Series.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Dianna Henning, Lara Gularte, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

April 2 — Mercedes Ibanez with guitarist Nick Carvajal

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 7 — A special evening of poetry

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley Read in Davis on March 5th at 7 p.m. Join us!

Andy Jones — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 22:42:32 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, March 5, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the poets Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for March 5 will be Connie Johnstone.

Connie Johnstone recently published her first book of poetry, The River of Perpetual Departure. Her poems have appeared in many journals, including Amethyst Review; The Brussels Review; The Calendula Review; Comstock Review; Ginosko Literary Journal; Gyroscope; The Orchards Poetry Journal; Ravenous: le Terroir de Montolieu; Spoon Knife Anthology: Numbers; and Tule Review.

Author of the novel The Legend of Olivia Cosmos Montevideo (Atlantic Monthly Press), Johnstone was a professor of English as well as chair of creative writing at American River College; Hospice chaplain, Kaiser Permanente, specializing in Narrative Therapy. Her degrees include an MFA from Bennington and a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Harvard Divinity School. She is at work on a second book of poems, Black Snake in a Bamboo Pole.

Opening for Johnstone will be Bob Stanley.

Bob Stanley studied poetry at Caltech and UCLA, and taught English and Creative Writing at Solano College, Sac City College, and Sacramento State University before retiring in 2021. President of Sacramento Poetry Center for a record 12 years, Bob has organized hundreds of poetry events, and he served as Sacramento Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2012. He has edited two anthologies: Late Peaches (2013), and Sometimes in the Open (2009). Bob’s poetry collections include Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger (Rattlesnake Press, 2009), Eleven Blue Strings (little m press, 2012), Miracle Shine (CW Books, 2013) and the e-chapbook November Sun (Random Lane Press, 2022). Bob lives in Sacramento with his wife, Joyce Hsiao, and they run online poetry seminars that help support small nonprofits. Bob’s newest collection of poems, Language Barrier, was published by CW Books in June 2024.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Dianna Henning, Lara Gularte, Terry Moore, Julia Levine, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

March 19 — Spring break

April 2 — Mercedes Ibanez, the Poet Laureate of Davis

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

Susan Wolbarst and Matt Mitchell read at Poetry Night in Davis

Andy Jones — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:14:24 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, February 19, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the poets Susan Wolbarst and Matt Mitchell. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for February 19 will be Susan Wolbarst.

Wolbarst’s new chapbook from Finishing Line Press (August 2025) is titled It’s Over.

Susan Wolbarst lives in rural Gualala (Wa-LAH-la), California, where she works as a reporter for the local (print!) weekly newspaper. When she’s not writing news stories, she writes poetry as well as various flavors of prose.

Her work has been published in The Ledge Poetry and Fiction Magazine, Naugatuck River Review, Poetry Now, Yolo Crow, Valley Voices, Eat This Poem Anthology, and others. Five of her poems were published in a recent Canadian anthology, Alchemy and Miracles, nature woven into words, edited by Cassandra Arnold. Susan won second place in California State Poetry Society’s 2022 and 2023 annual contests. She has an MA in fine art from California State University, Sacramento and a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. She published a cookbook in 1992: Tasting Gold, A goldmine of recipes from Nevada County’s best restaurants. When she’s not reading, writing, or cooking, she enjoys walking on the beach and kayaking.

Opening for Wolbarst will be Matt Mitchell.

Matthew Mitchell is a math teacher, poet, and writer based in Sacramento, California. A graduate of Pomona College, Matt also holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University. Before becoming a teacher, he worked for many years on workforce, economic development, and environmental policy issues in both New York City and California.

His poetry chapbook The Adored Garden was published through Philadelphia-based Moonstone Press in 2022. Mitchell’s work has been featured in publications such as The Write Launch, Cathexis Northwest Press, Kestrel, and Other Rooms Press. His short/flash essays have aired over the years on KQED Public Radio’s Perspectives program.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

March 5 — Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley

March 19 — Spring break

April 2 — Mercedes Ibanez, the Poet Laureate of Davis

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

Premier Poets Grant Faulkner and Maw Shein Win read in Davis on February 5, 2026

Andy Jones — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:14:48 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, February 5, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the poets Grant Faulkner and Maw Shein Win. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the welcoming John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our first poet for February 5 will be Maw Shein Win.

Maw Shein Win is a Burmese American poet who lives and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area. She served as the inaugural poet laureate of El Cerrito, California from 2016 to 2018. Her works include the full-length poetry collection Percussing the Thinking Jar (Omnidawn, 2024) which was shortlisted for the Northern California Book Award. Her previous full-length collection Storage Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn, 2020) was longlisted for the PEN America 2021 Open Book Award, nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Poetry, and shortlisted for the Golden Poppy Award for Poetry.

Maw Shein Win is the 2025 Berkeley Poetry Festival Lifetime Achievement Awardee and a 2025 Recipient of the Nomadic/San Francisco Foundation Literary Award. Win’s previous collections include Invisible Gifts (Manic D Press, 2018), and two chapbooks, Score and Bone (Black Lawrence Press/Nomadic Press, 2016) and Ruins of a glittering palace (SPA/Commonwealth Projects, 2013). Her work has recently been published in Alta, JMWW, The American Poetry Review, The Margins, The Bangalore Review, and other journals. Along with Adrian de la Peña, she is co-publisher of Literary Cherry, a collaborative project and editor of the Process Note Series. Along with Dawn Angelicca Barcelona and Mary Volmer, she is a co-founder of Maker, Mentor, Muse.

She teaches in the MFA Program at the University of San Francisco and in the Low Residency MFA Program at Dominican University of California.

Reading with Win will be Grant Faulkner.

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, the co-host of the Write-minded podcast, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author.

Faulkner’s latest (2026) book is something out there in the distance. His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin House, The Southwest Review, and The Gettysburg Review, and he has been anthologized in collections such as Norton’s Flash Fiction America; New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction; and in several editions of the annual Best Small Fictions and Best Microfiction anthologies.

His essays on creativity have been published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Lit Hub, Writer’s Digest, and The Writer. He serves on the National Writing Project Writers Council, the LitNet Steering Committee, Litquake’s board of directors, and the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Words’ Creative Council. He also publishes the weekly newsletter, Intimations: A Writer’s Discourse.

Doors and open-mic signups open at 6:30 p.m.; the featured reader begins at 7 p.m.; open mic starts at 8 p.m. Open mic performers will be asked to limit what they share to two items or four minutes, whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45 p.m. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. We expect open mic favorites Michael Gallowglas, Mercedes Ibañez, Joe Bacchus, and Allegra Silberstein to perform.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, Tamer Mostafa, Dianna Henning (in July), Terry Moore, Lenore Meyers, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

February 19 — Susan Wolbarst and Matt Mitchell

March 5 — Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley

March 19 — Spring break

April 2 — Mercedes Ibañez, the Poet Laureate of Davis

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel

Gabrielle Meyers and Pamela Pan perform at Poetry Night in Davis — join us January 15, 2026

Andy Jones — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:46:58 +0000

Dear Friends of Poetry,

On Thursday, January 15, 2026 Poetry Night will feature the poets Gabrielle Meyers and Pamela Pan. We meet at 7 p.m. inside the spacious John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis, and we hope you can join us!

Our featured poet for January 15 will be Gabrielle Meyers.

Gabrielle Meyers is a writer, teacher, editor, and former chef. Her latest book of poetry from Finishing Line Press is titled Points in the Network.

Meyers’ poetry has been published in The Adirondack Review, The Atlanta Review, San Francisco Public Press, Fourteen Hills, Evergreen Review, pacificREVIEW, Connecticut River Review, Catamaran, Edible East Bay, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Cathexis Northwest Press, Folio, Sandhills, the American Poetry Review, and is forthcoming in Reunion: The Dallas Review.

Since the beginning of 2022, Meyers has been the Farm-to-Fork Columnist for Inside Sacramento magazine. Every month, she offers a local perspective on the farm-to-fork movement and interviews farmers, producers, fish mongers, ranchers, and non-profit organizers who are transforming our approach to food.

Opening for Meyers will be Pamela Pan.

Pan’s latest book of poetry, to be released January 16 from Finishing Line Press is titled Tasting Moments.

Pamela Pan is an English professor at San Joaquin Delta College and a writer of poetry, essay, and fiction. She has a PhD from the University of California, Davis, and a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Also a Community of Writers’ fellow, her story “Baba’s Accordion” was published in California Writers Club’s Best of the Best: 2024 Literary Review, and her work has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, including Poets’ Espresso Review, Center of Attention, Phases, Great Valley Stories, Voices of the Valley, and Vision and Verse 2024. Her article “Turning Family History into a Historical Novel” is featured on the Historical Novel Society North America website.

Dr. Pan is working now on a work of historical fiction, titled Eight-Sided Mountain, based on her grandparents’ experiences during World War II in China, a collection of personal essays detailing her life and reflections living in two countries and continents, and a collection of essays on teaching and learning.

You are invited to visit the Facebook page for this event.

In 2026, Poetry Night will welcome the poets listed below as well as Kelli Russell Agodon, Katie Peterson, Wendy Silk, and others.

Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.

Our Poetry Night Schedule for 2026:

February 5 — Grant Faulkner and Maw Shein Win

February 19 — Susan Wolbarst and Matt Mitchell

March 5 — Connie Johnstone and Bob Stanley

March 19 — Spring break

April 2 — Mercedes Ibanez, the Poet Laureate of Davis

April 16 — Escritores del Nuevo Sol or Writers of the New Sun

May 21 — Molly Fisk and Kirsten Casey

June 4 — Bill O’Daly and Christopher Yohmei Blasdel