by Portia Choi | Nov 19, 2023 | Events, Features, Future Events, Poems
A SPECIAL HOLIDAY FIRST FRIDAY OPEN MIC AT DAGNY’S 1600 20th Street 6:00 PM – DECEMBER 1, 2023 Communal Singing of Seasonal Songs and Sharing of Poems – ******* Come and perform your own or your favorite seasonal poems, words or music, for 5 minutes. ...
by Portia Choi | Apr 30, 2023 | Events, Features, Interviews, Poems
Poems & Lindsay Sharp’s Interview for National Poetry Month April Fool’s Day Poem at Dagny’s To celebrate National Poetry Month in Bakersfield, poets gathered at 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April Fool’s Day at Dagny’s Coffee Shop, encouraged to...
by Portia Choi | Apr 30, 2023 | Events, Features, Interviews, Poems
Interview with Nelson Varon from First Friday Open Mic, March 3, 2023 Video: A full house gathered at Dagny’s to hear Nelson Varon sing his original tunes with his keyboard. By: Carla Joy Martin A full house gathered at Dagny’s to hear Nelson Varon sing his...
by Portia Choi | Apr 29, 2023 | Events, Features, Interviews, Poems
Interview with Leah Jaymes Truitt, Spectacular Saturday, February 18, 2023 A happy group of poets gathered for our Spectacular Saturday Open Mic on February 18, 2023. The participants were Jill England, Tamara Hattis, Richard Aguirre, Leah Truitt, Irene Sinopole and...
by Portia Choi | Apr 1, 2020 | Features
Jack Hernandez wrote “A Journey with Poetry” in the Community Voices of the Bakersfield Californian. It was published on April 1, 2020 which coincided with the the first day of National Poetry Month. The essay is reprinted below. ...
by Portia Choi | Apr 12, 2017 | Events, Features
(Katie Collins & Assemblyman Vince Fong) For the first time, Katie Collins, represented Kern County at the Poetry Out Loud competition held in Sacramento. The competition lasted two days and began on Sunday, March 12. Forty-four students competed from all over...
by Portia Choi | Apr 1, 2017 | Features
Story by Portia Choi A memorial, “Celebration of Love,” was held for Nancy Edwards on March 4 at Bakersfield College (BC) campus. Colleagues, friends and family revealed a person who was more than a gifted poet and an English professor. She was a generous friend, a...
by Portia Choi | Feb 8, 2017 | Featured Poet, Features, Pictures
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 and a photographer for his performance. At the open mic, he had participants hold up...