Wild Indigo featuring
Hosting Wild Indigo with Sarah Browning with three incredible featured poets and an open mic.
Jeannine A. Cook (any pronouns) is a writer and shopkeeper at Harriett’s Bookshop in Philadelphia and Ida’s Bookshop.
Yamini Pathak is the author of poetry collection Her Mouth A Palace of Lamps (Milk & Cake Press, 2025) and chapbooks Atlas of Lost Places (Milk & Cake Press) and Breath Fire Water Song (Ghost City Press). She is a member of the 2025 Poets & Writers' Get the Word Out Poetry Cohort and the recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship by the NJ State Council on the Arts. She holds an MFA from Antioch University, LA and her poems appear in West Branch, Poetry Northwest, and Tupelo Quarterly, among other journals. Yamini was nominated for Best New Poets and was a finalist for Frontier Poetry’s Global Poetry Prize. She lives with her family in West Windsor, NJ.
Jan Beatty’s eighth book, Dragstripping, was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024. Her work was recently featured in POETRY, and her poem, Stripshot, was named one of the best poems read in 2024 by 50 Contemporary Poets on LitHub. Beatty’s memoir, American Bastard, won the Red Hen Nonfiction Award. Work has appeared in the Atlantic, the New York Times Sunday Magazine, and Best American Poetry. She worked as a waitress, abortion counselor, and in maximum security prisons. She is Professor Emerita at Carlow University, where she directed the Madwomen in the Attic and the international low-residency MFA program.
Divine Feminine Retreat in Perú
“Reconnect with the Rhythms of Mother Earth
Feel deeply grounded and connected to Pachamama, Mother Earth. You'll have the opportunity to forge a profound connection with the trees, rivers, mountains, and the sacred elements that sustain us all.
Learn from the Wisdom of Indigenous Healers
Guided by the knowledge and experience of indigenous healers, you will participate in life-changing rituals and ceremonies that support spiritual and emotional healing
Cultivate Lasting Interdependent Community
Through shared experiences, deep conversations, and intentional community building, you'll experience deep connection and vulnerability with a community that will nourish you before, during, and beyond this retreat.”
Wild Indigo with Karen Smith, Sean Hanrahan, and Grant Klauser
Sarah Browning will be hosting this exciting reading with guest co-host, Saskia Kercy. More information to come.
I’ll be on a retreat in Perü.
AWP Book Signing of black god mother this body and profeta without refuge
12:30 Book signing at AWP Letras Latinas table with Brenda Cardenas
Book signing of black god mother this body and play with augmented reality and poetry with Halo
AWP Book Signing at Black Lawrence Press
BLP Booths 650 & 652, signing profeta without refuge
Letras Latinas Panel at AWP Baltimore
Organized by Laura Villareal and Francisco Aragón, with Brenda Cardenas, Raina J. León, Karla Cordero, and Cloud Delfina Cardona
Poet Community Leaders: A Letras Latinas Reading & Discussion
Friday, March 6, 10:35 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. ET
Ballroom II, Baltimore Convention Center, Level 400
When you are active in your local literary community, how do you carve out time to maintain a writing practice? After reading from their work, the poet laureate of Wisconsin, the cofounder of a vibrant reading series in Philadelphia, and the executive director of a community-based literary organization in California will share insights on the challenges of balancing their artistic practice while also serving their local communities.
Panelist Bios:
Brenda Cárdenas, Wisconsin Poet Laureate (2025–2027), is the author of Trace (Red Hen Press), winner of the 2023 Society of Midland Authors Award for Poetry and silver winner of Foreword Review’s Indie Poetry Prize; Boomerang (Bilingual Press); and three chapbooks. She also coedited Resist Much/Obey Little: Inaugural Poems to the Resistance and Between the Heart and the Land: Latina Poets in the Midwest. Cárdenas’s poems have been widely published in journals such as Poetry, The American Poetry Review, and Prairie Schooner. She is Professor Emerita of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
Cloud Delfina Cardona is an artist, writer, and book cover designer from San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of What Remains, winner of the 2020 Host Publications Chapbook Prize, and the past is a jean jacket, winner of the Hub City Press BIPOC Poetry Series. Cardona is the cofounder of Infrarrealista Review, a nonprofit that publishes Texan writers. She is an associate at Letras Latinas.
Karla Cordero is the author of How to Pull Apart the Earth, winner of the San Diego Book Award and finalist for the International Latino Book Award. Her work has been featured by NPR, the Academy of American Poets, The Oprah Magazine, Split This Rock, PANK, and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext, among other publications. She is a recipient of the COURAGE to WRITE grant from the de Groot Foundation and a California Arts Fellowship. She currently serves as executive director of Glassless Minds, a nonprofit arts organization, and teaches creative writing at MiraCosta College.
Raina J. León, PhD is Black, Afro-Boricua, and from Philadelphia and a member of Cave Canem, CantoMundo, and Macondo. She is the author of four books of poetry, including black god mother this body, and two chapbooks. She is a founding editor of The Acentos Review, professor emerita at Saint Mary’s College of California, and creative writing faculty at Stonecoast MFA. She cofounded the Wild Indigo Reading Series in Philadelphia and the Esperimento Sul Respiro residency program in Italy. Through creative archival research, she is writing the story of Doris Rheubottom, Blue Streak of Harlem.
Teaching at Stonecoast: “I dig poetry but how do you write that form stuff?”
"I dig poetry but how do you write that form stuff" (For Stonecoast MFA students only)
Last time you wrote a haiku was in 3rd grade and 5-7-5 was the last time you talked about poetic form ... or you read a few sonnets in high school and your teacher tried to explain how Shakespeare was doing some things, but your mind had other things going on ... or you love to nerd out about on iambic pentameter, rime royale, and a villanelle and the poets writing in those forms aren't all dead, male, and white but who they be? This is the generative workshop for you. You'll be choosing a book on poetics to read by contemporary authors and editors (list provided); a form that you want to try before workshop; a book that uses that form extensively by contemporary writers; and we will learn together how writers (like you) stick to and break the rules. You will write one poem before workshop in the form you choose. In workshop, we will also generate new work in forms like: haibun, sonnet, ziuhitsu, pantoum, haiku/low coup/sonku, golden shovel and quotilla, bop, abecedarian, and more (ex. ever done written a poem that's also a mad lib? You will try it in this workshop!) We will also take the fear out and put the joy into terms like meter, scansion, stanzas. If you ever looked at a poem and thought, "I'm not going to or I don't get it", followed by, "I can't write it", we are going to flip all that on its head. Choose this workshop and you will be adding another identity to your writer name tag: poet. The goals: - develop confidence reading poetry - learn some of the poets who are writing in form right now - get the poetic terms down so when a literary game show calls, you are ready - write the poems you might feel blocked to write (form has a way of opening up portals!) - have some fun (think trivia, dominoes, watercolor, and more)!
Reading with Lit Balm Series
Reading with Dorsía Smith Silva, Jennifer Maritza McCauley, Kimberly Reyes, and Ysabel Y. González on November 8th, at 5 pm with the Lit Balm Series.
Retreat in Medellín, Colombia (DIY)
For several months, I’ve been building a mountain-sized list of creative and professional tasks that I have looked upon from the winding river of life, incremently taking on one or another … and mostly not completed. But there is a time for cultivating and a time for seeding. The summer months for me were times of seeding.
I was supposed to be heading to New Orleans again as I did last year about this time, but some of my collaborative partners had things come up in their lives, so I had a week blocked out and nowhere to go.
But then I thought of my comay, and how I’d been wanting to visit her in Colombia. I looked at tickets on a whim … and at the time they were just $250 roundtrip! I didn’t get them when they were that low, but pretty close, and here I am, in Medellín, knocking out the easiest tasks and preparing to devote some significant time to the others. I’m electrified and moving and that’s a delight.
Prisoners Brunch
Text from Philly Peace Park:
Join us on Sunday afternoon for this year's Annual Prisoners' Families Brunch! Each year, @russellshoatz3rd coordinates this event in the spirit of his father, freedom-fighter and former political prisoner, Russell Maroon Shoatz (Rest in Power!).
*Fellowship with community members, families impacted by imprisonment, organizers, and activists!
**Enjoy a FREE delicious meal, catered by @southjazzkitchen @atiya_olas_spirit_first_foods @Chef Terry and more!
***Tap in with the African drummers and see some of Philly's finest artists perform, including @rainaleon @kxng_solje and @cvgebird !
****Hear from speakers providing insight on a variety of movements and campaigns, including efforts to decarcerate PA prisons and the struggle for Mumia Abu Jamal's retinal treatment!
*****Mama Assata Shakur making transition (Rest in Power!) makes this year's Brunch even more resonant! We will be sure to honor her life and legacy!
🌏: @oneartcommunitycenter (52nd/Media)
📆: Sunday, September 28th, 2025
🕛: 12-4pm
Spread the word! See you there!
Reading with the NJEA (New Jersey Education Association
From the event (text below provided by Dr. DaQuan Bashir)
Feeding Our Minds
To feed our minds means to nourish our understanding of culture, history, and identity. It’s about engaging with stories, literature, and lived experiences that deepen our awareness and appreciation of the diverse voices within the Hispanic community. Through reflection and learning, we honor our past and empower our future.
Feeding Our Bodies
Feeding our bodies means honoring the traditions, flavors, and nourishment passed down through generations. It’s about celebrating the diversity of Hispanic cuisine—not just as sustenance, but as a reflection of identity, wellness, and community. Through food, we connect with our roots, share stories, and preserve culture.
Feeding Our Souls
Feeding our souls means embracing the stories, traditions, and spiritual connections that shape who we are. It’s about honoring our ancestors, celebrating our resilience, and finding joy in shared customs. Through music, storytelling, and cultural expression, we nourish the spirit and strengthen the bonds that unite our communities.
Algarabía: An Epic Poem (celebrating Roque Raquel Salas Rivera)
Celebration at the Reopening of the Coleman Branch of the Free Library of Roque Raquel Salas Rivera’s new book, Algarabía: The Song of Cenex, Natural Son of the Isle Alarabíyya with Tongo Eisen-Martin, Kirwyn Sutherland, and me
Wild Indigo with Tongo Eisen-Martin and Roque Raquel Salas Rivera
It’s our birthday …
at ALLENS LANE ART CENTER!
It’s getting close. Nearly one year ago, we gathered for the first time at Young American Cider and Tasting Room in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia NALAC with our first poets, Denice Frohman and Gabriel Ramirez. Since then, so many poets have activated our hearts, minds, and hands in action … engaging us in local and national issues.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY AT ALLENS LANE ART CENTER, SEPTEMBER 21, 5pm
Our first anniversary will be no different with Tongo Eisen-Martin and Roque Raquel Salas Rivera. Their bios are below. Get ready y’all! These are some of THE most powerful poets of a generation! We had thought that this would be a triple feature month, but our beloved Tim Seibles has committed to gather in community in celebration of the life of a beloved who has transitioned. We extend our thoughts to him and the community … and we will see him in January 2025 with Anaiis Salles. We will have a slightly bigger open mic at the anniversary at our venue for just September: Allens Lane Art Center.
TICKETS
We will be offering donated cider from Young American Cider and Tasting Room, baked goods and other refreshments, and non-alcoholic beverages as well. There are ONLY 45 tickets available, so get your tickets early! http://bit.ly/25wildindigo26.
BOOKS?
We also STRONGLY suggest getting your books in advance. Tongo’s book is only available through our Bookshop Partner, Harriett’s online (link here), and Roque only has 12 copies that we will have in person.
NEWS IN COMMUNITY: Reclaim Philadelphia Garden Party
Wild Indigo's partner in social change, Reclaim Philadelphia, invites you to a Garden Party/Fundraiser/Mobilization Event! Come out to meet neighbors, learn more about Reclaim, hear from activists about our fall campaigns for justice and from Rep. Chris Rabb about what's going down in Harrisburg this fall, enjoy snacks and drinks - all on an early fall early evening at beautiful Hansberry Garden, 5150 Wayne Avenue, Germantown.
Friday, September 19, 5:30-7 pm. Rain date: September 26.
Free and open to the public - though we will be inviting you to become a member of the essential progressive organization Reclaim Philadelphia, if you're not already. We'll have membership info available and several of us to chat with about Reclaim's vital work. Invite your friends and neighbors and come on down to the garden, September 19, 5:30-7 pm. (Come in the first hour to hear Rep Rabb, as he has another event to get to... popular guy that he is!) Meantime, let Sarah know if you have any questions or want more details. You can write to her directly at sarahbrowningwriter@yahoo.com.
NEWS IN COMMUNITY: Obsidian Foundation
We thank you for always showing up in your truth, with your fire and your love. We will see you on that third Sunday of September, September 21, 5-7pm at Allens Lane for our 1st anniversary gathering!
BIOS
Born, raised, and currently living in San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin was the city’s eighth Poet Laureate (2021-2024). He is the author of three collections of poetry: Blood on the Fog (2021), selected by the New York Times as among the Best Poetry of 2021; Heaven is All Goodbyes (2017); and Someone’s Dead Already (2015). Eisen-Martin fuses political interventions with an idiosyncratic pattern of logic to elucidate how one can find pockets of freedom even within a wider system of oppression. Describing Eisen-Martin’s poetry, famed writer Claudia Rankine says, “This is resistance as sound.” Yet Eisen-Martin’s poems are as personal as they are political. In Heaven is All Goodbyes, for example, Eisen-Martin takes aim at incarceration-in-plain-sight with the following lines: “My dear, if it is not a city, it is a prison. If it has a prison, it is a prison. Not a city.” In addition to writing revolutionary poetry, Eisen-Martin is committed to raising political awareness through education. He has taught creative writing in prisons and is the author of We Charge Genocide Again, a series of lesson plans to support students and teachers in grappling with the state-sanctioned killing of Black people. A recipient of several awards including the American Book Award (2018), a California Book Award (2018), and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award (2018), Eisen-Martin earned both his BA and MA from Columbia University.
Roque Raquel Salas Rivera (Mayagüez, 1985) is a Puerto Rican poet, educator, and translator of trans experience. The 2018-19 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, he has received the Premio Nuevas Voces and the inaugural Ambroggio Prize, among other awards and recognitions. His eight poetry books include lo terciario/ the tertiary (Noemi, 2019), longlisted for the National Book Award and winner of the Lambda Literary Award, and while they sleep (under the bed is another country) (Birds LLC, 2019), which inspired the title of the exhibition no existe un mundo poshuracán: Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria. His poetry has been musicalized by Angélica Negrón, Jonathan Woody, Anaïs Mejías.
His most recent book, Algarabía (Graywolf, 2025) is an epic poem that follows the journey of Cenex, a trans being who retrospectively narrates his life while navigating the stories told on his behalf. Salas Rivera is an assistant professor in the Comparative Literature Program at the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. His cat, Pietri, is the ungrateful muse who inspires a great many of his poems. He is currently the Creative Editor for sx salon: a small axe literary platform.
Wild Indigo: Philly August
Wild Indigo Returns with Philly August
It’s been a long time or so it seems … but Wild Indigo is back! with 5 POETS: Allison Whittenberg, Lorraine Rice, Mary Mance, Pheralyn Dove, and Victoria Huggins Peurifoy. We hope you come through to support them on Sunday August 17 at our regular 5pm time at at Young American Cider! Bios of our incredible features below!
We have a new link to get your tickets (suggested donation of only $5) here at https://bit.ly/25wildindigo26
If you read your last newsletter, you know we have also recently received good news! We received grants from the Environment Committee of Weaver’s Way Co-Op and the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund to extend our program. We are so grateful for their support! One project will allow us to gift to our community bookmarks with embedded wildflower/pollinator seeds that also have lines of poetry. But what should we get put on them? If you have an idea, fill out this form by August 18!
And who is coming up for the fall? So far some of our fall poets include Tongo Eisen Martin, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, Tim Seibles, Iain Pollock, and Trapeta Mayson … and we have more already committed. Full announcement coming out at Philly August with Wild Indigo on August 17!
As always, we hope you continue to connect with the work of Reclaim Philadelphia and patronize Young American Cider!
This month’s features, reading for shorter sets (and there will also be a small open mic):
Allison Whittenberg's poetry collection is titled THEY WERE HORRIBLE COOKS.Her work has appeared in Columbia Review, Feminist Studies,J Journal,Obsidian, and New Orleans Review. Whittenberg is anine-time Pushcart Prize nominee and is a Philly native.
Lorraine Rice is a writer, mother, and professional support person doing the best she can in this broken and beautiful world. She is the recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem and Kimbilio. Her work has appeared in the anthology Permanent Record: Poetics Towards the Archive (Nightboat Books), American Poetry Review, swamp pink, Philadelphia Stories, and elsewhere. She is currently working on her first full-length collection, a docupoetics project that centers genealogical and historical research tied to her southern roots. Originally from South Carolina, Lorraine lives and learns with her family in Philadelphia.
Mary Mance is a Philadelphia-based spoken word poet whose work blends vulnerability, rhythm, and truth. Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, she began writing as a child, inspired by her mother’s poetic voice and a desire to give life to her experiences. Her poetry explores identity, survival, joy, and justice with authenticity and emotional depth.She has performed at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., Voices in Power in Philadelphia, and Poetry Me, Please in New York City, as well as civic events like the Philly Justice Ball and Access to Justice Awards.Beyond the stage, Mary uses poetry for healing, storytelling, and community-building, creating space for voices often overlooked. Her performances—whether before a packed crowd or in an intimate setting—are marked by emotional honesty and lyrical strength, reflecting her mission to turn lived experience into living language.
Pheralyn Dove is an award-winning poet. She is also a visual artist, author, essayist, and gratitude coach. She has presented her work on four continents: Africa, Europe, South America, and North America. Pheralyn lives her life in a state of perpetual gratitude. She is guided by her passion to create art that promotes cultural preservation, emotional healing, and African liberation throughout the Diaspora. She envisions and works toward freedom for all oppressed peoples.~. ~. ~. ~. ~. www.pheralyndove.compheralyn@gmail.com@pheralyn/Instagram@pheralyndove/Tiktok@Pheralyn Dove/Facebook
Victoria Huggins Peurifoy is a Community Engagement Liaison for Drexel University’s Writers Room, for their Second Story collective Program. She is working to bring together senior citizen homeowners in West Philly and Drexel Students to promote intergenerational living. She is also an AmeriCorps Senior conducting research and working with photography and writing. She is a writer in residence with Drexel’s Writers Room and a member of their Tripod team. She is an author, poet, spoken-word artist, storyteller, narrator, facilitator, workshop leader and voice-over talent. In 2023, she graduated as a senior citizen student from Peirce College and received a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. A grant from Stockton Bartol was awarded tp Victoria for the Micro-Teaching Artist award for Spring 2025. Victoria released her latest book, The Triumph Continues – A Covid Story & Poetry, found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites. Her work can also be found in the anthologies of writers room Drexelfor Anthology 11, which was just released in June 2025.
Wild Indigo featuring Candice Iloh, Saida Agostini, and Frederick Joseph
Get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/wildindigoseries
Poetry blooms in all shades.
Wild Indigo Poetry Series celebrates the cultural riches of Philadelphia and our deep rooted commitment to social change and transformation. 3rd Sundays at 5pm we feature 2 poets, local and visiting, and host an open mic in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia and based at Young American Cider and Tasting Room.
STARTING IN 2025
January 2025: Warren Longmire and more open mic slots!
Warren is a writer, technologist and educator from the bad part of North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and founder of _mixlit productions. Warren's work have been published in journals including Action, Spectacle, The Cleveland Review of Books, R&R and The American Poetry Review. He was featured in the Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and is featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse) was released in Nov. 2022. Warren is currently a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
February 2025: Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
March 2025: Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
April 2025: Candice Iloh and Saida Agostini
May 2025: Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
June 2025: Regie Cabico and Dilruba Ahmed
And July is our summer break
August 2025 will be micro-features focused on Philly-poets before we start the Fall season
Library of America poetry panel at Woodland Pattern Book Center (Milwaukee.)
Library of America poetry panel at Woodland Pattern Book Center (Milwaukee.)
More details TBA
Wild Indigo featuring Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
Get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/wildindigoseries
Poetry blooms in all shades.
Wild Indigo Poetry Series celebrates the cultural riches of Philadelphia and our deep rooted commitment to social change and transformation. 3rd Sundays at 5pm we feature 2 poets, local and visiting, and host an open mic in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia and based at Young American Cider and Tasting Room.
STARTING IN 2025
January 2025: Warren Longmire and more open mic slots!
Warren is a writer, technologist and educator from the bad part of North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and founder of _mixlit productions. Warren's work have been published in journals including Action, Spectacle, The Cleveland Review of Books, R&R and The American Poetry Review. He was featured in the Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and is featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse) was released in Nov. 2022. Warren is currently a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
February 2025: Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
March 2025: Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
April 2025: Candice Iloh and Saida Agostini
May 2025: Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
June 2025: Regie Cabico and Dilruba Ahmed
And July is our summer break
August 2025 will be micro-features focused on Philly-poets before we start the Fall season
Wild Indigo featuring Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
Get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/wildindigoseries
Poetry blooms in all shades.
Wild Indigo Poetry Series celebrates the cultural riches of Philadelphia and our deep rooted commitment to social change and transformation. 3rd Sundays at 5pm we feature 2 poets, local and visiting, and host an open mic in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia and based at Young American Cider and Tasting Room.
STARTING IN 2025
January 2025: Warren Longmire and more open mic slots!
Warren is a writer, technologist and educator from the bad part of North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and founder of _mixlit productions. Warren's work have been published in journals including Action, Spectacle, The Cleveland Review of Books, R&R and The American Poetry Review. He was featured in the Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and is featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse) was released in Nov. 2022. Warren is currently a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
February 2025: Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
March 2025: Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
April 2025: Candice Iloh and Saida Agostini
May 2025: Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
June 2025: Regie Cabico and Dilruba Ahmed
And July is our summer break
August 2025 will be micro-features focused on Philly-poets before we start the Fall season
Retreat with Rami e Radici Collective (Lucca, Italy)
I’m so excited to write that I will be in residency in Lucca with 3 incredible creatives working across forms, all Italian peoples of the Global Majority. I’ll be working on my own work. a children’s book, a novel, and a collection of poetry.
VIRTUAL Rowan University Guest speaker with Prof. Cherita Harrell
Guest speaker for undergraduate course at Rowan University that focuses on the lived experiences of women of color.
Reading at the 5-3-5 Salon
I’ll be reading with Huda Fakhreddine and Elizabeth Scanlon and I’m SUPER EXCITED. I’ve been hoping to be in community for a year now.
Wild Indigo featuring Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
Get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/wildindigoseries
Poetry blooms in all shades.
Wild Indigo Poetry Series celebrates the cultural riches of Philadelphia and our deep rooted commitment to social change and transformation. 3rd Sundays at 5pm we feature 2 poets, local and visiting, and host an open mic in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia and based at Young American Cider and Tasting Room.
STARTING IN 2025
January 2025: Warren Longmire and more open mic slots!
Warren is a writer, technologist and educator from the bad part of North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and founder of _mixlit productions. Warren's work have been published in journals including Action, Spectacle, The Cleveland Review of Books, R&R and The American Poetry Review. He was featured in the Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and is featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse) was released in Nov. 2022. Warren is currently a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
February 2025: Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
March 2025: Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
April 2025: Candice Iloh and Saida Agostini
May 2025: Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
June 2025: Regie Cabico and Dilruba Ahmed
And July is our summer break
August 2025 will be micro-features focused on Philly-poets before we start the Fall season
Writing workshop at small works gallery, Philadelphia
DESCRIPTION
Creating from mother myths, Mothering our truths
Who are your peoples? What myths entangle themselves in your genetic code and cultural rooting? In this workshop, we consider ancestral mythologies and what they have to teach us about mothering as opposed to contemporary texts about revolutionary mothering. Through discussion and play (there will be coloring books!), we will ultimately return to the page to write the truth of mothering that defies the myth.
Wild Indigo at Allens Lane Art Center
Wild Indigo will be partnering with Allens Lane Art Center. Sarah Browning and Raina J. León will be the feature poets with spotlight poets Taylor Lewis and SASKIA and an open mic. More information to come!
Wild Indigo Featuring Warren C. Longmire
Get your tickets here! https://bit.ly/wildindigoseries
Poetry blooms in all shades.
Wild Indigo Poetry Series celebrates the cultural riches of Philadelphia and our deep rooted commitment to social change and transformation. 3rd Sundays at 5pm we feature 2 poets, local and visiting, and host an open mic in partnership with Reclaim Philadelphia and based at Young American Cider and Tasting Room.
STARTING IN 2025
January 2025: Warren Longmire and more open mic slots!
Warren is a writer, technologist and educator from the bad part of North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and founder of _mixlit productions. Warren's work have been published in journals including Action, Spectacle, The Cleveland Review of Books, R&R and The American Poetry Review. He was featured in the Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and is featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse) was released in Nov. 2022. Warren is currently a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
February 2025: Grisel Acosta and Vincent Toro
March 2025: Kathy Engel and Kai Davis
April 2025: Candice Iloh and Saida Agostini
May 2025: Kirwyn Sutherland and Yesenia Montilla
June 2025: Regie Cabico and Dilruba Ahmed
And July is our summer break
August 2025 will be micro-features focused on Philly-poets before we start the Fall season
Wild Indigo Poetry Reading Series: Ursula Rucker and Miller Oberman
Founded, curated, and hosted by Sarah Browning and Raina J. León at Young American Cider in Philadelphia
Wild Indigo Poetry Reading Series: Nzadi Keita and Niki Herd
Founded, curated, and hosted by Sarah Browning and Raina J. León at Young American Cider in Philadelphia
Book release for Gabriel Ramirez
This Book Release Party celebrates the release of Gabriel Ramirez’s inaugural chapbook “If Pit Bulls had a God It’d Be a Pit Bull,” published by local women-owned bookstore and small press, The Head & The Hand as part of the Riverwards Chapbook Series, which was supported by Penn Treaty Special Services District and PECO Powering the Arts! The program includes a poetry showcase of the author’s closest friends and colleagues as well as a reading of the chapbook by Gabriel Ramirez. The author will also have a book signing before and after the readings. All artists, including the DJ who is also performing a song, have volunteered their time and artistry.
Event Schedule
7:00-7:30 PM:
DJ Set
Book Purchasing
7:30-8:30PM: Featured Performances
CVGEBIRD
Malaya Ulan (Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate)
Shame-e-Ali Nayeem
Kirwyn Sutherland
Raina Leon
Sanam Sheriff
Hiwot Adilow
Tafisha Edwards
Kingsley Ibeneche (DJ + vocal artist)
Saskia (Host)
8:30-9:00PM: Author Reading: Gabriel Ramirez
9:00-9:30PM: Book Signing and Fellowship
The Philly Pigeon
The Late(ish) Poetry Show is back. It's the day after halloween so in addition to our amazing feature, expect some spooky poetry games, prizes for best costume and some other surprises. Where else can you experience genre bending, incredible poetry and Halloween fun in one night?
A limited amount of VIP (Very into poetry) tickets are available here.
With a VIP ticket you get:
Seat in the first rows reserved until 8:25
Limited edition poetry print
Skip the line
Nothing makes Friday feel sooner than good plans. VIP tickets are selling fast. Get yours now.
Join us this Friday for a special Halloween edition of The Late(ish) Poetry Show.
PCA Conference: Share the Legacy Now: A Conversation with Clients/Consumers, Family Members and Ourselves
Your legacy does not start in death; your legacy starts now! Consider how often you have learned about a remarkable facet of a beloved’s life after transitioning. Wouldn’t you have wanted to be able to ask them some questions? This session is designed to start a conversation with our clients/consumers, family members, and ourselves about the legacy that they/we want to leave behind when they can ask questions and make plans about it. Specifically, what lessons, words of wisdom, and family stories do you want to share with those within your beloved communities? What legacies do you want to leave those who live on after you? What do you want to happen to your possessions after your death, and how will others know why they are treasured in the first place? This session is not so much about the monetary value of things but about discussing what is important and meaning making while the opportunity still exists. The audience for this session is social workers, geriatric care managers, therapists, family caregivers, and those who are beginning to explore their own legacy, essentially everyone.
Learning Objectives Participants in this workshop will:
• Understand that beginning the process of legacy building involves self-exploration.
• Utilize tools and specific resources like the genogram as part of storytelling, to understand the past, and present, and plan for the future.
• Plan to share one story about a treasured item that reveals part of your own legacy to your beloved family.
• Add to a list of questions to guide conversations around planning for where one’s most precious possessions should be placed when a major life transition occurs.
• Identify some community-based resources that can receive items that may interest community-held archives.
Dr. Norma Thomas received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Penn. State University. She then went on to obtain her master’s degree in social work from Temple University’s School of Social Administration and her doctorate degree in social work from UPENN. Dr. Thomas began as the MSW Program Director at California University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2007 and retired in January 2017. She was promoted to full professor in 2014. From 1994-2004 she worked for the Widener University Center for Social Work Education where she achieved tenure as an Associate Professor, also holding positions as Assistant Director and Baccalaureate Program Director. She worked from 1975-1984 for the Delaware County Office on Services for the Aging and from 1984-1992 for the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. In addition, she was the co-founder and President of the Center on Ethnic & Minority Aging, Inc., Philadelphia, PA from 1995-2008. She is currently an online instructor for the Center For Social Work Education, Widener University.
Dr. Raina J. Leon, Cave Canem graduate fellow (2006) and member of the Carolina African American Writers Collective, Canto Mundo and Macondo, has been published in over 100 publications in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and academic scholarship. She is currently a full professor of education in the Kalmanovitz School of Education at St. Mary’s College of California. She came to St. Mary’s from the Department of Defense Education Activity, where for three years she taught military dependents in Bamberg, Germany. Leon received her BA in Journalism from Pennsylvania State University with minors in African American Studies, English, International Studies and Spanish, graduating with honors in English with a poetry manuscript supervised by Dr. William J Harris and Dr. Aldon Nielsen; MA in Teaching of English from Teachers College Columbia University; MA in Educational Leadership from Framingham State University; and PhD in Education under the Culture, Curriculum and Change strand at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She recently completed her MFA in Poetry at St. Mary’s College of California.
Wild Indigo Poetry Reading Series: Sonia Sanchez, Carmen Calatayud, and Roberto Carlos Garcia
Founded, curated, and hosted by Sarah Browning and Raina J. León at Young American Cider in Philadelphia
This month we feature Sonia Sanchez, Carmen Calatayud, and Roberto Carlos Garcis
Dodge Poetry Festival
Poetry is for everyone at The 20th Dodge Poetry Festival, October 17 – 19. Downtown Newark will be buzzing with music and spoken word performances in this joyful, community-driven celebration. Hear headliners Mahogany L. Browne, Tyehimba Jess, Claudia Rankine, Sonia Sanchez, Afaa Michael Weaver, Aracelis Girmay and more — along with dozens of activities, workshops, poetry slams and jams. And don’t miss Saturday’s free Family Fun Day in Military Park, with a DJ, community poets, drag storytelling, face painting and fun.
Friday October 18
11:00AM-12:10PM – trinity st.-philips – Jessica Jacobs, Myles Taylor , Raina Leon
Saturday October19
3:30-4:40PM – express newark – What We Don’t Talk About (Raina Leon, Kai Coggin, Diana Goetsch, Janine Joseph)