This Poetry Reading Series provides a unique opportunity to hear diverse and unusual sets of readers, pairing local Bay Area poets with visiting poets and writers.

Rick Barot‘s fourth book, The Galleons (Milkweed Editions) was included on the NY Public Library’s 2020 Top Ten Poetry Books and longlisted for the National Book Award. He has authored three other poetry books: Sarabande Books: The Darker Fall, Want, and Chord, and the chapbook, During the Pandemic (Albion Books, 2020). His poems and essays have appeared widely. He serves as the director of The Rainier Writing Workshop, the low-residency MFA in Creative Writing at Pacific Lutheran University.

Barbara Jane Reyes’ most recent collection is Letters to a Young Brown Girl, which was released in 2020. She was born in Manila and raised in the Bay Area. Her prior poetry books include: Gravities of Center, Poeta en San Francisco (James Laughlin Award), Diwata (Global Filipino Literary Award for Poetry), To Love as Aswang, and Invocation to Daughters. Her chapbooks include: Easter Sunday, Cherry, and For the City that Nearly Broke Me. She is adjunct professor at USF’s Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program.