Diana Ramirez and Thomas Lucero Featured at Open Mic

by Portia Choi | Apr 29, 2017 | Events, Featured Poet

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”41″ gal_title=”April 2017 Open Mic”] First Friday April 7 features Diana Ramirez and Thomas Lucero Story by Portia Choi                                      Photographs by Ezekiel Espanola Event hosted by Kevin Shah...

Poetry, A Vital Part of Life by Annis Cassells

by Portia Choi | Apr 20, 2017 | Featured Poet

    Poetry, A Vital Part of Life By Annis Cassells “Today is ‘Poem in Your Pocket’ Day,” I announced to the woman I’d just met at my assigned table at the Women’s Business Conference. “May I read you a poem?” I asked, whipping a piece of paper from my...

Open Mic- Shanna O’Brien Featured

by Portia Choi | Mar 13, 2017 | Events, Featured Poet, Interviews, Pictures, Poems

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”38″ gal_title=”March 2017 Open Mic”] Shanna O’Brien was the featured performer at the Open Mic on March 3.  The Open Mic is held at Dagny Coffee, downtown Bakersfield, every First Friday at 6:00 pm. O’Brien has...

Night of Poetry at Levan Center, Bakersfield College

by Portia Choi | Mar 2, 2017 | Events, Featured Poet, Interviews, Poems

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”37″ gal_title=”Valley Poets Night”] Night of Poetry at Levan Center, Bakersfield College The “movers and shakers” of poetry were together to read poems of nationally acclaimed poets at the Levan Center on February...

February Open Mic Features Tony O’Brien

by Portia Choi | Feb 8, 2017 | Featured Poet, Features, Pictures

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”35″ gal_title=”February Open Mic”] Tony O’Brien was the featured poet at First Friday Open Mic on February 3, 2017.  O’Brien is also a photographer and a jazz musician.  He melded his talents of being a poet...

First Friday Open Mic January 6, 2017

by Portia Choi | Jan 11, 2017 | Featured Poet, Pictures, Poems

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”27″ gal_title=”open mic january 2017″] story by Portia Choi On the First Friday of January 2017, the featured poets at Dagny’s Coffee were Joseph Mosconi, Barry Michael and Maryah Paige Chester. They read from their...

Featured Poet: Chris Fendt

by Portia Choi | Jan 5, 2017 | Featured Poet, Interviews, Pictures, Poems

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”26″ gal_title=”chris fendt”] Story by: Martin Chang Photos by: Greg D. Cook and Martin Chang top box photo provided by Chris Fendt   Chris Fendt is inspired by different aspects of life. For Fendt, a chance...

Ara Shirinyan performs at The Bakersfield Fan Forum

by Portia Choi | Dec 21, 2016 | Featured Poet, Pictures

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”23″ gal_title=”ara shirinyan”] photos by Greg D. Cook story by Portia Choi   Ara Shirinyan was the last guest poet of the Bakersfield Fan Forum at California State University Bakersfield (CSUB) Todd Madigan...

Open Mic: December 2016

by Portia Choi | Dec 14, 2016 | Featured Poet, Pictures

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”22″ gal_title=”open mic december 2016″] The Open Mic for December 2016 featured Yaritza I. Castro. Castro has been an active member of the poetry community and has performed at the Open Mic several times. She read...

Dana Gioia, California Poet Laureate performs at Walter Stiern Library.

by Portia Choi | Dec 7, 2016 | Events, Featured Poet, Pictures

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”21″ gal_title=”Dana Gioia”] By Portia Choi, with contributions by Martin Chang Photos by Martin Chang   On December 1, 2016 the California Poet Laureate, Dana Gioia, was the presenter at the December Room of the...