The Sacramento Poetry Center will welcome Mary Mackey and Sharon Coleman on Monday as part of its ongoing weekly reading series. Tim Kahl, local poet and longtime poetry center board member, will host the free reading at the gallery space at 1719 25th Street at 7:30 p.m. Mary Mackey is a poet, novelist, screenwriter and professor emeritus who is always working on at least one new project. Her latest book of poetry, “Sugar Zone,” was released by Marsh Hawk Press on Oct. 1, and has received great praise. In addition to this sixth book of poetry, she’s authored 13 novels and five screenplays. Mackey helped found the Sacramento State women’s studies program, the Sacramento State graduate cre

For the second month in a row, Sacramento Poetry Center's summertime reading "Hot Poetry in the Park" had to relocate from Freemont Park back to their headquarters on the corner of 25th and R streets. For May's reading, the move indoors was due to poor weather, but technical difficulties and transportation were at fault this time. Even with the last-minute change of plans, the event still showcased incredible talent to an eager audience. The night was hosted by Trina Drotar, the new managing editor of SPC's literary magazine, "Poetry Now." Featured reader was local poet Keely Sadira Dorran. Dorran has played an integral role in the poetry community in Sacramento for more than 15 years bu

Due to Monday's gray skies and chilly breezes, Sacramento Poetry Center's series "Hot Poetry in the Park" had to move indoors.  Originally scheduled for Fremont Park, the reading was transferred to the organization's hub on the corner of 25th and R streets. With some of the audience lost in transition, the show went on for a crowd of a dozen.  The featured acts included Boston-based touring duo Carrie Rudzinski and April Ranger. Currently halfway through their American Northwest tour entitled "A History of Silence," the poets both said they've had an amazing time so far. "The train ride from Portland to (Sacramento) was unbelievable," Rudzinski said.  "The scenery here is awesome." Both

If you love a good story but also seek a theater-like experience, Stories on Stage just might be your cup of tea. The series, masterminded by Sacramento author Valerie Fioravanti, features local short fiction read by local actors. Friday night, the series will host its third monthly event, held at the Sacramento Poetry Center. After spending 30 years in New York and several years in other states and countries, Fioravanti moved to Sacramento because of the affordability and the arts scene. The Brooklyn native came up with the idea for Stories on Stage after noticing something strange about Sacramento. "The poets are organized, but the prose writers are not," she said. "We want to show sh

Clive Matson is more than a legendary Beat poet. He's a little bit younger than the Beats, and a lot more honest and raw, which he'll tell you himself. He's a nature lover, a teacher and a father. And on Monday, June 15, he will be teaching a free public workshop entitled "Let the Crazy Child Inside Write" at the Sacramento Poetry Center. Poets Q.R. Hand and H.D. Moe will also be reading at the event, which begins at 6 p.m. Matson plans to read from his heralded 1966 poetry collection Mainline to the Heart, along with some more recent works. When Mainline was published, it was described by one reviewer as "more edgy than the Beats," a critique Matson agrees with. "I'm carried away eith

Patrick Grizzell is a local poet and musician. He plays the guitar and sings with three different groups: The Liz Ryder Band, Junkyard Burlesque and Mandolin Avenue. Grizzell is also the one of the founders of The Sacramento Poetry Center, which has been around since 1979. He has published books of poetry, 13 Poems, Chicken Months, Dark Music: Selected Poems and Stories and others. Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen have been major sources of musical inspiration for Grizzell but those who hear him play live can agree that he has a sound of his own. Grizzell will be performing at Luna's cafe with Junkyard Burlesque on Jan. 9. He will be reading poetry at Time Tested Books on Jan. 18 to