by Portia Choi | Nov 2, 2025 | Events, Featured Poet, Interviews, Kern County Poet, Poems
Interview with Carla Joy Martin, featured poet at Dagny’s Open Mic on Friday, October 3, 2025 By: Portia Choi Carla Joy Martin shared poetry with us from The Coffee Café, her second chapbook. Other participants in the evening’s Open Mic were: Q. What are two of the...
by Portia Choi | Mar 27, 2025 | Events, Featured Poet, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH! APRIL 4th – 6 pm – First Friday Open Mic at Dagny’s Featuring: SAMUEL RAIN BENJAMIN – Kern County Poet Laureate “open mind open heart, the thoughts of Dark Man Blues” Sharing his latest work for the first 15-20...
by Portia Choi | Sep 1, 2024 | Events, Featured Poet, Features, Interviews, Kern County Poet
Interview with Samuel Rain Benjamin, Kern County Poet Laureate 2024-2026 A formal announcement was made on Friday, April 5th, 6 PM at Dagny’s Coffee in Bakersfield To name Samuel Rain Benjamin as the Kern County Poet Laureate 2024-2026 Interview with Samuel...
by Portia Choi | Jun 11, 2024 | Events, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
POETRY & CONCERT THIS SAT 6/15 AT WORLD RECORDS Check this out! POETRY plus BLUES CONCERT! THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 15TH – 7:30 PM OUR KERN COUNTY POET LAUREATE – SAMUEL RAIN BENJAMIN Performing his passionate verse OPENING FOR ELVIN BISHOP & THE BIG...
by Portia Choi | Apr 18, 2024 | Events, Featured Poet, Features, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
2 OPEN MICS IN ONE! ZOOM SPECTACULAR SATURDAY – APRIL 20, 2024 WE ARE THE WORLD 4 pm Pacific Time – We will be joined by poets from the UK and across the US – all are welcome! 6 pm Pacific Time – Our usual Open Mic time – Poets from many...
by Portia Choi | Mar 26, 2024 | Events, Featured Poet, Features, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
News for our Kern Poetry Community: THE ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN PRESS EVENT A select committee of professors, professional poets and community members have the honor of naming: SAMUEL RAIN BENJAMIN Poet Laureate of Kern County, 2024-2026 Qualifying nominees also include...
by Portia Choi | Dec 20, 2023 | Events, Featured Poet, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR WITH VERSE! JAN 5TH, 2024 – FIRST FRIDAY OPEN MIC AT DAGNY’S – 6 pm FEATURING KERN COUNTY’S INAUGURAL POET LAUREATE DON THOMPSON: “Some poems to remind us that metaphor matters” Don will read his poetry for 15-20 minutes Then...
by Portia Choi | May 10, 2023 | Events, Featured Poet, Interviews, Kern County Poet, Poems
Interview with Matthew Woodman – Featured Poet – First Friday Open Mic – April 7, 2023 By: Carla Joy Martin Matthew Woodman, our Kern County Poet Laureate, was our featured performer for First Friday Open Mic on April 7, 2023. He shared poems from...
by Portia Choi | Mar 26, 2023 | Events, Featured Poet, Future Events, Kern County Poet, Poems
FIRST FRIDAY OPEN MIC, APRIL 7, 2023 AT 6 PM AT DAGNY’S COFFEE CAFE – 1600 20TH STREET Featuring: MATT WOODMAN reading poems centered on Kern County’s Red Rock Canyon. Matt Woodman is our Kern County Poet Laureate – After Matt shares for 15-20 minutes,...
by Portia Choi | May 18, 2021 | Events, Interviews, Kern County Poet, Poems
April National Poetry Month Zoom Open Mic, April 18, 2021 To commemorate National Poetry Month in April, there was a second virtual open mic. The poets who participated were Anke Hodenpijl, Annis Cassells, Carla Martin, Christopher Craddock, Christopher Nielsen,...