On Friday, October 18, Poetry & Art Series 2019 at the San Diego Art Institute (SDAI) features authors Emdash, Bethel Swift, Andy Palasciano, Pat Andrus, Chris Nelson, and Christophver R. Open mic Poetry Karaoke with creators Judy Reeves and Steve Montgomery completes this evening of poetry, music, and visual art in the gallery at SDAI. Hosted by Michael Klam. DJ Gill Sotu will provide music and sound throughout the show. 

This interactive arts and culture experience will include beverages, snacks and time to mingle. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. Members are free, nonmembers $6 at the door. The event takes place in the San Diego Art Institute, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Please visit P&A at poetryandartsd.com and sandiego-art.org, or call 619-957-3264 for details.

AUTHOR DETAILS:

Emdash—Emdash, AKA Emily Gao, is a Chinese American from San Diego, Calif. Currently she is a junior at Pitzer College in the L.A. area. Since a young age she has felt a natural gravitation toward the arts. Her hope is that her writing can be healing not only for herself, but also for others. While her main focus is poetry, she is also integrated in the world of arts and entertainment journalism via Mochi Magazine. This past June, she debuted her first chapbook, ABC. And yes, an Emdash will always be the best punctuation mark. You can find her on Instagram @emdashery_ or buying snacks at Trader Joe’s.

Chris Ernest Nelson—Chris Ernest Nelson is a poet, painter and historian. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a retired history and art teacher. He has lived in San Diego since 1959, and presently resides in Golden Hill. Nelson’s original history of the 1939 election contest over food-stamps for the elderly, “The Battle for Ham and Eggs,” appears in the Journal of San Diego History, Fall 1992; and is cited by Professor Kevin Starr in his definitive history, The Dream Endures: California Enters the 1940s. Nelson was named Author of the Month, November 2018 by the San Diego Public Library for his book HARVEST the poetry of Chris Ernest Nelson. The second edition of HARVEST (2019) sold out and he is publishing a third edition in January 2020. You can see all of his poetry on his blog: chrisernestnelson.wordpress.com

Bethel Swift—Bethel Swift is a San Diego-based poet, workshop instructor, and blogger from the South Side of Chicago. Her debut chapbook, Conversations with Good Men, releases in March 2020 and she has poems published in Armenian Poetry Project, Haiku Journal and Expressions From Englewood as well as exhibited at Columbia College Chicago. In 2016, Swift was the recipient of an AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship with poet Sandy Coomer (Available Light). Prior to that, she studied poetry under Kristina Marie Darling (Dark Horse) and Larry Sawyer (Vertigo Diary) at the Chicago School of Poetics and with Martha Vertreace-Doody (Glacier Fire) at Kennedy-King College. Her website, blog and mailing list sign-up form are available at www.bethelswift.com.

Christophver R—Christophver R is a native San Diegan, award-winning poet, actor, screenwriter, director, producer and photographer. He is also a founding member of Indian Magique Street Theatre, The San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Naked Shakespeare Company, Yo Mama’s Got Drama Productions, and the performance poetry group, The Mightier P.E.N.S. (Poetic Expeditionary Nation of Semanticists) Most recently, he has released his book of poetry, published by Garden Oak Press, entitled Intellectual Suicide, Poetry to Die For, available on Amazon.com.

Pat Andrus—Pat Andrus has been at work on her first collection of poems in over 20 years entitled Fragments of the Universe, to be published by Blue Vortex Publishers, and is expected to come out before the year’s end.

Andy Palasciano—Andy Palasciano barely maintained a C+ average at four different state universities before finally graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in English from San Diego State (SDSU). He immediately applied to be a substitute teacher. He had to take two basic math classes, and pass a rudimentary math quiz before being given his Emergency Credential. The name of this credential itself, allowing him to teach with no actual teacher training, should have told him something: Emergency!

SDAI EXHIBIT INFO: Forging Territories: Queer Afro and Latinx Contemporary Art through Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019.Featuring African-American and Latinx artists within the LGBTQ community portraying queer cultural awaking, the current political moment and considerable storytelling skill.

OPEN MIC POETRY KARAOKE: Grab a binder filled with poems of all kinds—from Angelou to Yeats, Brooks to Whitman—and select the one you’d like to read. When your name is called, come on up and spin the Big Wheel of Musical Genres, then read your selected poem aloud to the beat of the music. Join us for some raucous fun and some dang good poetry. Hosted by authors Judy Reeves and Steve Montgomery. Writers/artists who would like to participate in Poetry Karaoke can get their names in the hat ahead of time at mkklam@gmail.com or text 619-957-3264.  It is a good idea to sign up early by email or text message, as space and time are limited!

CONTACT AND LINKS: Please contact host Michael Klam with any questions: 619-957-3264 (cell) or 619-236-0011 (museum) or mkklam@gmail.com. Visit us online at poetryandartsd.com,  sandiego-art.org, and Broken Anchor Poetry Meetup.

Support and sponsorship by San Diego Entertainment & Arts Guild, The San Diego Poetry Annual, Puna Press, Poetry International, San Diego Art Institute.