Iris De Anda a Guanaca Tapatia poet, speaker & musician who has been featured with KPFK & KPFA Pacifica Radio, organized with Academy of American Poets, performed at Los Angeles Latino Book Festival, CECUT in Tijuana, Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba and is named one of Today's Revolutionary Women of Color. Author of Codeswitch: Fires from Mi Corazon 2014 Los Writers Underground Press, Roots of Redemption: You have No Right to Remain Silent 2022 Flowersong Press, & Loose Poems a collection of B-side poems & songs 2022 Multimedia Militia. www.lawriterunderground.com
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Angelina Sáenz, M. Ed, MFA is an award-winning educator and poet whose work focuses on memory, mujeres and motherhood. She is a UCLA Writing Project fellow, an alumna of the VONA/Voices Workshop for Writers of Color and a Macondo Writer’s Workshop Fellow. Her debut book of poetry Edgecliff was released in winter of 2021 with FlowerSong Press and Maestra is her second collection.
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Matt Sedillo is a poet from Los Angeles. His books include city on the second floor, and mowing leaves of grass. He is the cofounder of El Martillo press.
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Writer/designer, Pam Ward just released her poetry book BETWEEN GOOD MEN & NO MAN AT ALL, World Stage Press. She’s published two novels, WANT SOME GET SOME, and BAD GIRLS BURN SLOW, Kensington. A UCLA graduate, recipient of a California Arts Council Fellow, a Pushcart Poetry Nominee, Pam has published in Chiron, Calyx, Voices of Leimert Park and the LA Times. She's currently working on a novel about her aunt’s dalliance in the Black Dahlia Murder, an event that shocked the nation and happened in Pam’s own neighborhood. www.pamwardwriter.com
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traci kato-kiriyama (they+she; based on unceded Tongva land in the south bay of Los Angeles) --author of Navigating With(out) Instruments (Writ Large Press)-- is an award-winning multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer/performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, community organizer, and audiobook narrator.
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Brenda Vaca is a Xicana poet, author, and independent publisher from Sejatnga, Unceded Tongva Territory, known as South Whittier, CA. She earned her B.A. in English at U.C.Berkeley with a Minor in Creative Writing and later earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Biblical Languages at the Pacific School of Religion/Graduate Theological Union. Riot of Roses is her debut collection of poetry published by her indie house, Riot of Roses Publishing House.
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S.A. Griffin is a husband, father, Carma Bum and Vietnam era veteran of the USAF. Most recently the author of Pandemic Soul Music (Punk Hostage Press). Editor, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (Firecracker Award).
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K.R. Morrison is a Bay Area poet, drummer, and teen educator who reads tarot and planetary placements when she isn't co-creating the Divine Feminine take back.
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Daniel Yaryan is the poet-author of the illustrated volume Sorcerers: Through Dimensions Infinite and the creator of the Sparring with Beatnik Ghosts series and anthologies. His books are available at www.sparringartists.com
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Bernadette McComish Her poems have appeared in The Los Angeles Press, The Cortland Review, For Women Who Roar, Slipstream, Flypaper Magazine, Waxing and Waning, Peregrine, Indolent Books, and Rising Phoenix. She won the 2022 Kali Moksha Prize for poetry, was a finalist for the CD Wright Prize in Poetry, and was a finalist for the New Millennium Writers 41st poetry prize.
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Richard Modiano is winner of the 2022 Joe Hill Prize for labor poetry and a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and National Writers Union. His collection Forbidden Lunch Box was published by Punk Hostage Press in 2021.
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jimmy vega (no caps) is the child of Mexican immigrants, a Chicanx Los Angeles born and raised poet, writer, educator, artist, and curator. In 2023 their work was on view at The Reef Los Angeles as part of the group exhibit, Spell/ing. He is a former 2023 ELL Faculty Fellow at CalArts and is the Associate Director of Beyond Baroque Literary Arts/Center.
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Dig Wayne is a former professional singer and songwriter. His poetry and photography can be found in the online magazines Felix and Citron Review. His poetry has been published in the literary journals, Askew and Spillway and his collection One Fell Swoop was published in 2023.
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CHIWAN CHOI is the author of four books, The Flood, and the Daugher Trilogy—Abductions, The Yellow House, and the upcoming my name is wolf. He wrote, presented, and destroyed the novelGhostmaker throughout the course of 2015.Chiwan is a partner at Writ Large Projects. He is also the host of the podcast Are You There, Ghost? It’s Me, Chiwan.
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Seohyun Ryu (she/her) is a writer and student at SoCal who moved to the States during her freshman year of high school. Fond of connecting the study of language and storytelling, she enjoys exploring various forms of art. Seohyun is currently working on her first book to make her childhood dreams come true!
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Ethan Kwak is a writer and California Arts Scholar. A current sophomore in high school, Ethan is fixated on folk punk, indie poetry magazines, and working on his first book. He is looking forward to launching disjointed, his poetry press.
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Bella Giammalvo is a Los Angeles-based student writer. She’s fond of pretty trinkets, the ocean at night, and lots of Lana Del Rey. Her writing illuminates the clash where future meets present, in an attempt to understand the struggle between support and intervention, self and other, and love and loss.
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Ash Wang is a writer and artist from Irvine, California. They like to write about anything and everything that is taking up space in their brain. Ash is a member of The 309 Collective, a group of young California poets, writers, musicians, and artists.
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Aimee Preciado is a high school senior and writer from McFarland, California. She writes about the duality of her life and the roles she plays in other’s lives. Aimee is a member of The 309 Collective, a group of young California poets, writers, musicians, and artists
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Sehba Sarwar creates text and art that tackle displacement, migration, and women’s issues. The second edition of her novel, Black Wings, was released in 2019 (Veliz Books). Her writings have appeared in publications including New York Times, Creative Time Reports, Asia: Magazine of Asian Literature, Callaloo, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere while her short stories are anthologized in Feminist Press, Akashic Books, and Harper Collins India. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan in a home filled with artists and activists, Sarwar resides in the San Gabriel Valley, and her papers are archived at the University of Houston.
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Alice Pero is the 10th Poet Laureate of
Sunland/Tujunga. She runs the Village Poets
reading at Bolton Hall. Her first book, "Thawed
Stars" was praised by Kenneth Koch
as having "clarity and surprises."
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Shahé Mankerian is the principal of St. Gregory Hovsepian School in Pasadena, CA, and serves as the director of mentorship at the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA). With a rich background in education, he co-directed the Los Angeles Writing Project and received the BRAVO Award from the Los Angeles Music Center for his innovative contributions to arts education. In 2021, Mankerian's debut poetry collection, History of Forgetfulness, was published by Fly on the Wall Press in the UK.
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Peggy Dobreer is a poet, dancer/choreographer and curator of Slow Lightning Somatic Mediation & Writing Practice. She is author of two collections from Moon Tide Press: In the Lake of Your Bones in 2012 and Drop & Dazzle in 2018, and her most recent chapbook, Forbidden Plums; Poems in Quarantine, released in 2022, from Glass Lyre Press. Dobreer has been nominated four times for the pushcart prize, was a semi-finalist for the 2015 Jack Grapes Poetry Prize and was awarded Downey Symphony Orchestra’s 2017 Poetry Matter’s Prize in association with NASA.
www.peggydobreer.com.
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Roberta loves working with the spoken and written word. Her historical research and writing became “Latinos in Pasadena”, Arcadia Publishing: Images of America series. Her published essays, plays, and poems can be found in: Hometown Pasadena, Prospect Park Books, 2018; Altadena Poetry Anthology 2020; The Covid Monologues, Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble, 2022; Gathering: A Women Who Submit Anthology, 2021; Slow Lightning, Impractical Poetry, 2021. Slow Lightning, Astonished Petry, 2023; Transformation, A Women Who Submit Anthology. Her full-length play LA VENTURA was a semi-finalist in the Garry Marshall New Works Festival 2022.
Roberta H. Martínez
[email protected]
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Bill Ratner, author of the full-length poetry collection Fear of Fish (Alien Buddha Press) and the chapbook To Decorate a Casket (Finishing Line Press), is a Best of the Net Poetry Nominee (Lascaux Review). His work has also appeared in Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press), Missouri Review (audio), Baltimore Review, Chiron Review, and other journals. Bill is a 9-time winner of the Moth StorySLAM, a certified grief counselor, an officer in his union SAG-AFTRA, and earns his living as a voice actor. https://billratner.com/author • @billratner
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Elena Secota was born in Transylvania, Romania, and graduated from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, London. Favorite roles: Sophie Oresanu in the BBC/Masterpiece Theatre “Fortunes of War” with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh; Antigone; Empress in “Lost in Siberia” with Anthony Andrews. Elena is the host/curator of 3rd Friday Salon at The Rapp Saloon. Her CD, “Poems, Songs and the Sea” is available in digital form, at: https://elenasecota.bandcamp.com
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Raffi Joe Wartanian is a writer, musician, and educator who teaches writing at UCLA and serves as the inaugural Poet Laureate in Glendale. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, University of Texas Press, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. As a musician, Raffi's albums of original compositions include Critical Distance and Pushkin Street.
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Gerda Govine Ituarte is the author of five poetry collections. She is the editor of two poetry collections by the Pasadena Rose Poets. Her work appeared in
35 + publications in the United States, Mexico, and France.
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Christian Perfas (aka. 'Soul Stuf' within poetry circles) is a writer, performer, and teaching artist based in The Greater Los Angeles Area. Decorated both on the page and on the stage, Christian has been a featured poet at The Electric Forest Festival, House of Blue Anaheim, The Comedy Store, and Sofar Sounds // collaborated with The Melrose Poetry Bureau, The Poetry Lab, Poetry Society of New York, and The Poets' List // and been published by The World Stage Press, LA Press, Praxinoscope (Volumes 2 and 3), and The Feminist Toilet. He loves ube ice cream and is often distracted by small to medium sized dogs.
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Poetry Super Highway and Haikuniverse creator Rick Lupert hosts the weekly Virtual Cobalt Cafe reading series. He is the author of 28 poetry collections including “It’s Spritz O’Clock Somewhere” and “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” He lives in Newhall, California with his family and 3 cats.
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Sara Harris Ben Ari Is a Master gardener, artist, Radio and sound arts producer, and poet living in Los Angeles. Her recent work, Love in a Time of Climate Change, is a Climate Stewardship project. She is a founding member of Project 1521.
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Rhys Langston Podell is a musician, visual artist, and writer born, raised, and based in Los Angeles, California. Publications such as the NY Times, the LA Times, AFROPUNK, LA Weekly, STEREOGUM, and SPIN have praised his multimedia efforts. Notable projects include 2020's dissertation and musical album Language Arts Unit: a Rap Textbook and 2022's Grapefruit Radio, which melded his outré rap, visual art, and absurdist prose. Ever composing and plotting between disciplines, he remains the poet laureate of his living room and has a higher vertical leap than your favorite rapper.
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Clement Tsang is a multi-disciplinary community scientist, poet, and social worker based in the San Gabriel Valley. They are second-generation Chinese American writing on themes of identity, ecology, and humanity.
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Mike Sonksen, aka Mike the PoeT, is an acclaimed poet, professor, journalist, historian and tour guide that has published over 500 essays and poems, most recently two excerpts in Dear California: The Golden State in Diaries and Letters, edited by David Kipen (Stanford University Press, September 2023). He has served as guest speaker at over 100 academic institutions, appeared on radio and television and hosted events in locations like Grand Performances and Getty Center. The second edition of his latest book, Letters To My City was just published.
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Lee Boek has been an integral part of the LA Silverlake/Echo Park/ LA Arts District/Santa Monica arts community for nearly fifty years and is the Artistic Director of Public Works Improvisational Theatre, PWIT), since 2001. The company was founded in 1974 at the Church in Ocean Park and continues to this day on the cutting edge of contemporary theater, spoken word and music.
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Steve Abee is a poet and teacher who lives and works in Los Angeles. He’s been part of the Los Angeles poetry community for the past 30 years. His published work includes the novel The Bus and the poetry collection Great Balls of Flowers.
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Frankie Tan is a poet and performer and the Director of diversity equity and inclusion at the poetry Society of New York. They are excited to share their new book - a jungle refuses to give up - The Los Angeles Press 2023. Find them @Frankiesayspause
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Diosa Xochitlquetzalcoatl is Chicana American poet from Los Angeles. With many books published, and many forthcoming, you can find her performing and educating throughout California. Her nickname is Diosa X
Find her at https://diosax.net/
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Elyse Hart is a poet from LA. She has been published in many books and journals including The Los Angeles Press. Find her at elysehartpoetry.com
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Juan Cardenas Poet/Musician/Educator/Community Organizer
Juan Cárdenas is a Poet, Flutist, the Associate Director of a Literary Organization called, Los Angeles Poet Society, and is a Teacher with California Poets in the Schools. Juan was originally born in Leon, Guanajuato Mexico and raised in city of Panorama City in San Fernando Valley, California.
Juan is the Author of The Beat of an Immigrant Chicano published in April, 2020 by Edition de Cygne in Paris, France, which received an Honorable Mention for a book of poetry by a single author in English, for the Juan Felipe Herrera prize, in the International Latino Book Awards. His poetry is a vivid poetic retelling of his journey from his hometown in Leon, Guanajuato, to the United States, and the struggles of crossing the border with his Family. Juan’s poetry is about the human experience as a Chicano immigrant in The Valley of San Fernando, mixed with mariachi, blues, rock n roll, cumbias, activism and resilience.
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Jessica M. Wilson Cárdenas, an International Chicana Poet, born in East Los Angeles, CA. She is a 3rd generation Beatnik, with a BA and MFA in Writing (UCR and Otis) In 2009 she founded the Los Angeles Poet Society and began a network of literary events and open mics in LA County! She's a California Poets in the Schools Poet Teacher, where she taught Youth US Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman. Jessica is an Artivist, a social justice Publisher for Los Angeles Poet Society Press, amplifying QTBIPOC voices. She’s a DJ for Radio Ollin, (www.radioollin.org) Her books of poetry include: What Breathes, Raw Kit, Marie Morrison, Serious Longing, published by Swan World Press in Paris, France.
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Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Lauren Yang observes all that moves and stands around her as she transmutes what she sees and hears into poetry, comedy, dance, and music. As an environmentalist and aspiring artist just getting started, she aims to love deeply and live furiously with every last spark of energy she can muster for the wellbeing of our Earth and humanity.
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Nicelle Davis is a California poet, collaborator, and performance artist. Her poetry collections include The Walled Wife (Red Hen Press, 2016), In the Circus of You (Rose Metal Press, 2015), Becoming Judas (Red Hen Press, 2013), and Circe (Lowbrow Press, 2011). The Language of Fractions was recently released from Moon Tide Press. Her poetry film collaborations with Cheryl Gross have been shown across the world. She has taught poetry at Youth for Positive Change, an organization that promotes success for youth in secondary schools, MHA, Volunteers of America in their Homeless Youth Center, and with Red Hen’s WITS program. She is the creator of The Poetry Circus and collaborator on the Nevermore Poetry Festival. She currently teaches Middle School.
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