Upcoming Reading: Juliana Spahr
A conversation between poets Juliana Spahr and Laynie Browne
Spahr: "But when I say poetry has a special relationship to the environment, I should also say that 'special' does not mean that poetry has an entirely innocent relationship to the environment."

Read the Interview | Readings & Lectures

Good Poem/Bad Poem: An Intro to Poetry Class
Ann Fine takes a new approach to reading and thinking about poems
How do you know if a poem is good or bad? Where did we get our ideas about what is good and bad in poetry? How much of what we think we know is useful to our ability to appreciate and create poems? Take this class, and discuss the good poem/bad poem problem in the tradition of good cop/bad cop. On a recent edition of Arizona Spotlight, Mark McLemore talked to Fine about her debut collection of poetry, A Nest This Size, and about Good Poem/Bad Poem.

Ann Fine on AZ Spotlight | More about this Class

Music & Poetry Commingle; Monson & Johnson Co-Teach
Two great benefits for two great causes
UofA Creative Writing professors Fenton Johnson and Ander Monson will teach "The Inspirational Fact: The Role of Research in Writing Creative Nonfiction," a class that will benefit the UofA Creative Writing Department. We've posed two questions to each of them about the role of nonfiction writers and their own experiences as writers in this genre.

And The Tucson Symphony Orchestra and the Poetry Center are teaming up to present a preview of "Dylan Thomas Songs" to benefit both the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and the Poetry Center. Find out exactly what that event will include.

More about the Dylan Thomas Benefit | Q&A with Johnson and Monson
Purchase Tickets to Either Benefit

Calling Southern Arizona Writers!
Apply for the Mary Ann Campau Fellowship
The deadline for this year's Fellowship applications is November 20, 2009. Make sure to check out the two most recent fellows, Stephanie Balzer and Maria Elena Wakamatsu. Webpages including samples of their work can be found on the guidelines page.

Fellowship Guidelines

Book Club Goes Bilingal!
Read The Family Tree in either English or Spanish, then discuss it in English
On Thursday, October 8, at 5:30 p.m., the Poetry Center’s Closer Look Book Club meets to discuss A Family Tree by Mexican author Margo Glantz. Combining elements of the novel, autobiography, history, and family photo album, The Family Tree explores the life of a Jewish couple who emigrated from the Ukraine to Mexico, and also opens a window onto the larger experience of the Jewish immigrant community in Mexico. This is a special bilingual meeting of the book club. You’re invited to read The Family Tree in either English or the original Spanish. Our conversation will be in English, as usual.

Why a bilingual book club? Tucson is home to a large Mexican-American population and has been shaped by the stories and poetry of Mexico since before it was Tucson. We hope this book club reflects the international character of our city and brings together book lovers of different languages/cultures. The event is co-sponsored by the Mexican Consulate in Tucson, and is led by Julian Etienne Gómez Baranda (from the consulate) and Cybele Knowles (from the Poetry Center).

More about Discussion Groups

Just in time for Halloween
Poetry Joeys huddle up to some scary stories
On October 31, storyteller Jordan Hill will wow Joeys and their parents with scary stories, beginning at 11:15 a.m.

Poetry Joeys Schedule