June Poetry Newsletter

[Benicia Poet Laureate]





Dear Poetry Lovers,

THE BIG NEWS is that THE BIG REVEAL for the Benicia Love Poetry Contest is coming on June 2!!

Join our Love Poetry party on Zoom to hear the 9 winners and Honorable Mentions as well as a host of other wonderful love poems from those poets who entered the contest.  2 pm Pacific time, 5 pm East Coast.

Benicia Literary Arts is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

 

Topic: Love Poetry

Time: Jun 2, 2024 02:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82998732933

 

Meeting ID: 829 9873 2933

 

In other news, The First Tuesday Poets welcome those who love to read aloud or just listen to poetry to attend our Open Mic at the Benicia Library on JUNE 4.  It’s a friendly and supportive venue with a diverse range of poetry where each poet usually gets to read up to 3 poems if they like.  The suggested topic for the first round of poems is -what else- LOVE!  Hosted by Yours Truly.

COME AT 6:15 for cookies and conversation.  PROGRAM begins at 6:30.

The winner of our Joel Fallon Poetry Scholarship is Noah Welsh!  Our judges noted the strong connection Noah had to the sources of his poetry and the use of nature and music in his work.  Congratulations, Noah!

MAY 30. NEW EVENT!  Join Benicia Literary Arts at the Library, 6:30-8:30 pm, for “Shut Up and Write,” an evening of focused writing time.  All genres and experience levels are welcome, and don’t worry, no one will see what you have written!  It’s about getting your writing done and meeting other local writers.

JUNE 2.  Benicia Literary Arts will participate in the Bay Area Book Fest in Berkeley.  Check their website for details.  You can go there at 11 am and then come back to watch the Love Poetry Contest on Zoom at 2 pm Pacific.

JUNE 2.  HIKE AND WRITE on the Solano County Land trust from 2-4. For details and to register, go to website for Poet Laureate Suzanne Bruce for this and other Fairfield events.

JUNE 6.  OZCAT RADIO will have a special interview and poetry reading with DL Lang at 10:30 am on 89.5 FM or livestream with the Tune In Radio app.

JUNE 8.  Ina Coolbrith Circle is sponsoring a picnic to celebrate the poetry entered into their contest, and will be announcing the winners.  See their website for details.

JUNE 9.  Poetry in Motion is moving!  Starting this month, on the second Saturday it will be at the Infinity Cafe, 717 Marin St., Vallejo, from 2-4 pm.  For this and other Vallejo events, go to their website Vallejopoetrysociety.org.

JUNE 15.  Book Launch Party for the anthology CARQUINEZ REVIEW 2024 2-4 pm at Arts Benicia, Commanding Officer’s Quarters, 1 Commandant Lane, Benicia.

JUNE 29. WRITING FROM YOUR SOUL is an event featuring poet and cellist Diane Frank at the Fairfield Cordelia Library 1-3 pm.  The second hour will be an Open mic.

There are other regularly reoccurring events that I featured for the first 4 months of 2024 and will list again in the near future.  For details on those and any changes to projected plans for events, check out some of the websites listed above, or explore other venues in the Bay area.

Kathy

Katrina Monroe

Benicia Poet Laureate