Dear Friends of Poetry,
On Thursday, May 1, the Poetry Night Reading Series is proud to present Patrick Grizzell and Oswaldo Vargas. We meet at 7 PM on the roof of the John Natsoulas Gallery, and we hope you can join us! The cool temperatures of this May evening will feel all the more chilly because of the two-hour duration of this special event (including the open mic). Please dress in layers and consider bringing a blanket or winter coat.
Patrick Grizzell is a poet, songwriter, and visual artist whose work bridges literature, music, and the visual arts. A founding member of the Sacramento Poetry Center, he currently serves as its Board President and Monday night host. His published collections include Dark Music, Chicken Months—praised by Robert Bly for its “sweet spontaneity and tenderness”—Minotaure Into Night (featuring sumi paintings by Jimi Suzuki), 13 Poems, and It’s Like That.
Over the course of his career, Grizzell has performed alongside artistic legends including Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Robert Creeley, Ed Sanders, Anne Waldman, Leon Redbone, and Taj Mahal. He was instrumental in founding many of the Sacramento Poetry Center’s publications, serving as an editor and helping to shape its literary voice.
Grizzell has taught poetry through guest lectures at colleges, writers’ conferences, and California’s Arts in Corrections program, bringing creative writing workshops into prisons across the state. His musical group, Proxy Moon, released its debut album in 2016, with new recordings currently in development.
A student of art and literature at California State University, Sacramento, Grizzell studied with renowned mentors including Dennis Schmitz, Maya Angelou, Eugene Redmond, Kathryn Hohlwein, and Jimi Suzuki.
Opening for Patrick Grizzell will be Oswaldo Vargas.
Oswaldo Vargas is a former farmworker, a 2021 recipient of the Undocupoets Fellowship, and a graduate from the University of California, Davis, where he studied history, human rights, Jewish studies, and poetry with Dr. Andy. He has been anthologized in Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color (Nightboat Books), Puro Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century (Cutthroat, A Journal of the Arts and The Black Earth Institute) and Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands (Aunt Lute). His work can also be seen in publications such as Narrative, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, The Louisville Review, and The West Trade Review. He lives in Sacramento, California.
The rooftop open mic starts at 8. Performers will be asked to limit their sharings to two items or four minutes whichever is shorter. The open mic list is typically full by 6:45. People who show up early to help set up chairs will always earn a spot on the open mic list. Thanks to the producer of Poetry Night, Robby Nykodym.
Find out more about the Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting https://www.poetryindavis.com. Encourage your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, check out his weekly podcast, typically featuring Poetry Night poets, at https://poetrytechnology.buzzsprout.com/. Also, see some of his recent essays on Substack: https://andyjones.substack.com/.
Our May 1 poetry reading will give us a moment to remember Joshua Clover who recently passed away at the age of 62. See Dr. Andy’s remembrance.
In 2025, we will feature the poets Dane Cervine, Adela Najarro, Mischa Kuczynski, Greg Miller, Diane Frank, Brad Buchanan, Chris Erickson, Julia B. Levine, and many more.
Upcoming Events:
May 1 – Patrick Grizzell and Oswaldo Vargas, on the roof (dress warmly)
May 15 – Mary Mackey and Robby Nykodym, on the roof (dress warmly)
June 6 – Heather Borbeau and Andrea Ross
June 20 – Summer break from Poetry Night
Please plan to join us on every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 PM at the John Natsoulas Gallery for the Poetry Night Reading Series.
Fondly yours,
Dr. Andy Jones
Host, The Poetry Night Reading Series
