Lisbeth Coiman is a writer and educator from Venezuela. Her debut book, I Asked the Blue Heron: A Memoir (2017) explores the intersection between immigration and mental health. Her poetry collection, Uprising / Alzamiento (Finishing Line Press, 2021) Uprising / Alzamiento portrays the faces of the uprising in Venezuela’s complex political unrest and draws attention to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the once wealthy nation. Coiman lives in Los Angeles, CA. https://lisbethcoiman.com. $4 Cover Fee, Cash Only . . . . . #lisbethcoiman #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #ocopenmic #orangecountypoetry
Sholeh Wolpé is an Iranian-American poet, playwright and librettist. Her most recent book , Abacus of Loss: A Memoir in Verse, was hailed by Colorado Review as a book that “examines the masks of patriarchy in powerful metaphor and narrative.” Wolpé’s literary work number over 12 collections of poetry, translations, and anthologies, as well as librettos for opera, oratorio and art songs, several plays, and multi-genre productions. Wolpé has lived in Iran, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom and is currently a writer-in-residence at the University of California, Irvine. She divides her time between Southern California and Barcelona. Alexandra Lytton Regalado is a Salvadoran-American author, editor, translator, and educator. Her works include Relinquenda, winner of the National Poetry Series (Beacon Press, 2022), and Matria (Black Lawrence Press, 2017). She is co-founding editor of Kalina press and assistant editor at swwim.org. More info at www.alexandralyttonregalado.com $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #sholehwolpe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poetrycommunity #alexandralyttonregalado
Donato Martinez was born in in small pueblo, Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated into USA at six years old. He teaches English composition, Literature, and Creative Writing at Santa Ana College. He has also taught classes in Chicano Studies. He has also been a co-coordinator of the Puente Program for 25 years and has presented workshop sessions at the both the regional and state level. He has also spoken at many motivational and educational conferences. He hosts and curates many artistic events that feature poetry and music at his campus or in the community. These events generate large crowds and active participation. He is also a poet and writes about his barrio upbringing, his community, his culture, his bi-cultural and bilingual identities and other complexities of life. He is influenced by the sounds and pulse of the streets, people, music, and the magic of language. He has a self-published collection with three other Inland Empire poets, Tacos de Lengua. His work has been published by City Works, Eastside Rose, Acentos Review, The San Diego Poetry Annual, Ofrenda Magazine, Mixtape Literary Journal, Latin@Literatures, and La Raiz Magazine. His full length collection of poetry, Touch the Sky, will be published in May by El Martillo Press. He loves the outdoors and is inspired by music and books and other artistic expressions, and his children, Gabriel and Abigail. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #donatomartinez #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poetrycommunity #poet
It’s time!!! 🎊💃🏽Let’s celebrate @allie.j.rigby and her beautiful poetry collection Moonscape for a Child at @arvidabookco tomorrow at 6 pm in Old Town Tustin Sign up for the open mic hosted by @writerchickmama celebrating creative work and fall in love with the words of Allie herself for a reading afterward. This is definitely the event of the year and one you don’t want to miss 🥹 See you there! 🌸❤️ #arvidabookco #ocopenmic #tustinopenmic #moonscapeforachild #poetrydebutbook #poetrybooklaunch
Katherine Williams is a White Southerner who grew up in the Navy and lived in Charleston SC as a young adult, then spent twenty years in Los Angeles, and returned to SC twenty years ago. She’s a Pushcart and Best of the Web nominee with poems in Spillway, South Carolina Review, Projector, Measure, Diagram, and elsewhere. She began writing in 1991, published three chapbooks, and studied poetry with Richard Garcia’s Long Table Poets for twenty years. Her first poetry collection, ‘The Devil Cruises Pacific Coast Highway,’ has just been published by Kelsay Books. Williams has been a research technician at UCLA Medical Center, Hollings Marine Laboratories, and the Medical Univ. of SC; an Apple-certified technician; a college chemistry tutor; and a graphic artist and web developer. As a board member of The Poetry Society of SC, she created the Warrior Poets Series, presenting veteran-poets at the Charleston VA Medical Center, and as founding chair of James Island Arts Council, she created Poetry at McLeod, in which illustrious Black poets interpret the plantation experience—from enslavement, to ascendancy in all walks of American life. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #katherinewilliams #poetrycommunity #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poet
Steven Hendrix received his M.A. in Comparative Literature from CSULB. He co-hosted the pop-up bookstore and reading series Read On Till Morning in San Pedro, CA and is author of the poetry collection Leave With More Than You Came With (Arroyo Seco, 2019) and the chapbook Every Breath Matters Most (Beach Chair Press, 2023). His work has appeared in Chiron Review, Slouching Beast Journal, Alien Buddha Press, Drunk Monkeys, and Pocket Lint, among others. He currently lives in San Francisco with his partner Erin and his sons Langston and Paxton. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #stevenhendrix #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymug #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #poetrycommunity #poet #ocopenmic
OPEN MIC SESSIONS with @kleinahexa ➡️the 4th Sunday of every month at @hightidecoffeeco Laguna Niguel from 4-7pm 4/28 • 5/26 • 6/23 ➡️Thursday April 25th from 6-9pm @lagunabeercompany Laguna Beach Featuring 12 local artists; celebrating creativity, craft beer, coffee, & community. All ages and skill levels are welcomed!🎶 ✨SIGN UP ONLINE NOW✨ www.kleinahexa.com/little-witch-presents OR with LINK IN BIO #ocopenmic #openmic #orangecountyopenmic #ocbrewery
OPEN MIC SESSIONS with @littlewitchpresents ➡️the 4th Sunday of every month at @hightidecoffeeco Laguna Niguel from 4-7pm 4/28 • 5/26 • 6/23 ➡️Thursday April 25th from 6-9pm @lagunabeercompany Laguna Beach Featuring 12 local artists; celebrating creativity, craft beer, coffee, & community. All ages and skill levels are welcomed!🎶 ✨SIGN UP ONLINE NOW✨ www.kleinahexa.com/little-witch-presents OR with LINK IN BIO #ocopenmic #openmic #orangecountyopenmic #ocbrewery
Matthew Feinstein is a poet originally from Tracy, California. He holds an MFA in Poetry from Randolph College, a BA in English - Creative Writing from CSU Long Beach, and an AA in English from Butte College. His poems have appeared in HAD, Heavy Feather Review, Inflectionist Review, Poetry Online, and elsewhere. He is the author of the chapbook Breeds of Breath (Alien Buddha Press, 2020). You can find more of his work at www.matthewfeinsteinwriter.com $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #matthewfeinstein #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #uglymugcafe #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
$4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #ocopenmic #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #poetry #poets
Please join us tomorrow at Two Idiots Peddling Poetry for one of our latest author’s Christian Hanz Lozada’s featured reading! There will also be an open mic. $4 cover at the door! Break legs and hearts, Christian! . . . . . #christianhanzlozada #hesacoloruntilhesnot #moontidepress #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #uglymugcafe #poet #poetry
Join us as we showcase the amazing talent that blesses the stages of open mic Lb!!! Sunday March 31st at Roscoes Jazz Lounge!! Make sure to stay up to date in our stories to get stage time at these events!!!! . Get your tickets now in our bio link!!!! . . . #openmicLB #openmiclongbeach #longbeachmusic #lbc #longbeachbusiness #lbcforever #longbeachlivemusic #laopenmic #ocopenmic #openmicla #openmicoc
Join us Friday, March 22nd for our next open mic!!! . . Details and donation options in our bio link! . . #openmicLB #openmiclongbeach #longbeachmusic #lbc #longbeachbusiness #lbcforever #longbeachlivemusic #laopenmic #ocopenmic #openmicla #openmicoc
Join us for a new spin on BINGO!!!!! Music inspired, RnB themed, with DJ Jess and @xsavotage . Prizes, drinks, food, vibes, and so much more !!!! . RSVP @ civilcircusent.com —— it’s a free event!!!! . . #openmicLB #openmiclongbeach #longbeachmusic #lbc #longbeachbusiness #lbcforever #longbeachlivemusic #laopenmic #ocopenmic #openmicla #openmicoc
Christian Hanz Lozada is the son of an immigrant Filipino and a descendant of the Southern Confederacy. He knows the shape of hope and exclusion. He authored the poetry collection He’s a Color, Until He’s Not and co-authored Leave with More Than You Came With. His poems have appeared in journals from California to Australia with stops in Hawaii, Korea, and the United Kingdom. Christian has featured at the Autry Museum and Beyond Baroque. He lives in San Pedro, CA and uses his MFA to teach his neighbors and their kids at Los Angeles Harbor College. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #christianhanzlozada #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #ocopenmic
Becca Hiraheta is a Salvadoran-American poet that is homesick in two languages for no place in particular. She writes about love, identity, andher body. She has been published in the first ever issue of Hue Journal and featured alongside World Stage Press poets. You can usually catch her reading poems in various poetry venues in the Orange County, Long Beach, and Los Angeles area. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #beccahiraheta #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Nicelle Davis is a multidisciplinary artist who uses video, poetry, performance, and publication to discuss topics ranging from artistic collaboration, feminist identity, poverty and power, and the environment. Her published books include Circe, becoming judas, In the Circus of You, The Walled Wife, and The Language of Fractions. Her work has been featured in poetry in The Language of Fractions, Moon Tide Press, CA, September 2023, Poetry journals featuring Davis’ work include Broadside, Provence Town, NJ, 2023, Lucky Jefferson, Chicago, Il, 2023, and Rattle, Los Angeles, 2023. Also, several of her poems were published in Beat Not Beat, Moon Tide Press, Los Angeles, 2022. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #nicelledavis #thelanguageoffractions #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #moontidepress #poet #poetrycommunity
Nicelle Davis is a multidisciplinary artist who uses video, poetry, performance, and publication to discuss topics ranging from artistic collaboration, feminist identity, poverty and power, and the environment. Her published books include Circe, becoming judas, In the Circus of You, The Walled Wife, and The Language of Fractions. Her work has been featured in poetry in The Language of Fractions, Moon Tide Press, CA, September 2023, Poetry journals featuring Davis’ work include Broadside, Provence Town, NJ, 2023, Lucky Jefferson, Chicago, Il, 2023, and Rattle, Los Angeles, 2023. Also, several of her poems were published in Beat Not Beat, Moon Tide Press, Los Angeles, 2022. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #nicelledavis #thelanguageoffractions #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #moontidepress #poet #poetrycommunity
Christina Brown @christina.leigh.brown is a poet and educator living in Long Beach, CA. She is the managing editor at Pear Shaped Press and cohost of The Bi Pod: A Queer Podcast. In her free time, you’ll find her writing pop culture think pieces no one asked for, experiencing deep, short-lived obsessions, and trying not to kill her houseplants. Her first poetry collection, Girl Teeth, published by innateDIVINITYpress, is available now. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #christinabrown #ocopenmic #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #girlteeth #lovepoet #poetrycommunity #valentinesday
Scott Ferry helps Veterans heal as a RN in the Seattle area. His collaboration with Daniel McGinn titled Fill Me With Birds is now available from Meat For Tea Press. His book of prose poetry, Sapphires on the Graves, is upcoming from Glass Lyre Press in Summer 2024. Daniel McGinn’s work has appeared in The MacGuffin, Nerve Cowboy, SurVision, Spillway, and numerous other magazines and anthologies. His recent chapbook, Drowning the Boy, won The James Tate Poetry Prize for 2021 (SurVision Books). He is also the author of 1000 Black Umbrellas (Write Bloody), The Moon, My Lover, My Mother & the Dog (Moon Tide Press), and Co-author with Scott Ferry, of Meat For Tea’s new release, Fill Me With Birds. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #scottferry #danielmcginn #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poetry #poetrycommunity
Nadia Alamah (she/they) is a second-generation Lebanese American visual/installation artist and writer from Flint, Michigan. Previously a Stone Street Resident Artist with Flint Public Art Project, Alamah created Flint Bedouin Tent, and facilitated/taught community-oriented arts workshops. Alamah also served as a Resident Live Painter for the We Can Do It! Open Mic in Long Beach, and most recently held their solo show, “From Lebanon to Long Beach,” supported by the Arts Council for Long Beach. Alamah’s work combines textiles, paint, found materials and poetry, and prioritizes amplifying stories excluded from institutional gatekeeping in the modern era, with emphasis on MENA humanization in the Western world. In addition to the chapbooks “Yalla Habibi” and “baladi,” they have previously published with Pear-Shaped Press and Rachel Corrie Foundation. Their work can be found online at nadiathellama.com and on Insta @nadiaathellama. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #nadiaalamah #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #lebanesepoet #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity
Jaime Estepa (@_jaimest, he/they/siya) is a queer second-generation Filipinx American poet, playwright, and educator. They are a Periplus Fellow in poetry (2023), a two-time Lambda Literary Fellow (playwriting in 2021, screenwriting in 2023), and a two-time alum of the VONA/Voices Workshop (playwriting in 2022, screenwriting in 2023). Jaime also is an alum of the Professional Program in TV writing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Currently, Jaime is pursuing their MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for the Screen at Antioch University Los Angeles. Jaime has performed spoken word in slams and mics across stages in California with past poetry and theatre collaborations with Artists Building Community, the Carlos Bulosan Book Club, Diversionary Theatre, Maarte Theatre Collective, The Old Globe, and Sunday Jump. When he was based in San Diego, Jaime was featured for his work as a Filipinx spoken word artist in the KPBS docuseries, “Out of the Boondocks.” You can find some of their work published in zines by Sampaguita Press and Off Menu Press and in Emerge: 2021 Lambda Fellows Anthology. Jaime grew up on unceded Southern Paiute land (Las Vegas, NV) and is descended from 20th century migrant Filipino/a/x laborers who worked on Alaskan fishing boats and the farms of Hawai’i and Northern California. They swear some of them must’ve been queer, too. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #jaimeestepa #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #ocopenmic #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #filipinopoet #filipinopoetry #poetrycommunity
Come join us for our last reading of the year! Tomi Simmons, a poet, spoken-word artist, and 200-hour yoga trained teacher, shares her personal experience with healing from trauma through her writing. Tomi has a passion for helping her community and is a nonprofit development professional. She was McPherson College’s first poet laureate in 2019 and served as the president of the writing club where she helped publish creative literary journals, and led virtual and on-campus writing workshops. Simmons has been a featured artist at the Las Vegas Book Festival and at poetry shows in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Her work has been published in McPherson College’s literary journal Inscribe and The Petite Hound Press Issue 42. Her writing reflects her personal experiences and her strong connections to her blended family. She loves empowering others to share their stories. Tomi can be found on Instagram @tsimmswrites or be emailed [email protected]. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #tommisimmons #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #poetry #Poet #ocopenmic #uglymugcafe #spokenword #poetrycommunity
Emma Gazley performed her first poetry as a teen, but she was on mic singing as a child and wrote her first songs before she could spell her own last name. Featured in online magazines like “Voca Femina” since 2007, she debuted as a visual artist in 2015 with the art show “Abide”, has appeared in various film projects, and completed her first mural collaboration in 2021. Currently based in LA, she has recently published her first book, “For Those Who Cannot Live or Die” with GoldScriptCo, as well as releasing the poetry and performance film project “GOOD//EVIL”. You can normally find her meticulously examining the ingredients on every package in the health food section, writing and reading, at an art museum, or working out with her tattoo artist husband. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . #emmagazley #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Marc “The Unmitigated Gall, The Lister of Lists, The Final Boss of Poetry” Cid is literally just a guy. A guy who writes poetry, except when he’s writing stories. Hardboiled detective stories, featuring Lovecraftian cosmic horror called, “The Clam-bake Over Innsmouth.” He’s working on a book of poetry called Your Funeral Sucked, by the Way, because he wants to punch his trauma in the dick. Sometimes he writes haiku. Sometimes he writes 5 minute long abominations in free verse full of professional wrestling references. Sometimes he writes his own bio, which some unfortunate soul is tasked to read aloud. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #yourfuneralsuckedbytheway #marccid #marcjcid #theunmitigatedgall #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Eric Morago @ericmorago is a Pushcart Prize nominated poet who believes performance carries as much importance on the page as it does off. He is the author of What We Ache For and Feasting on Sky. Currently Eric teaches writing workshops and is editor-in-chief and publisher of Moon Tide Press and Spillway Magazine. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach, and lives in Los Angeles, CA $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #ericmorago #moontidepress #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #Poetry #ocopenmic #poetrycommunity #poet
Eric Morago @ericmorago is a Pushcart Prize nominated poet who believes performance carries as much importance on the page as it does off. He is the author of What We Ache For and Feasting on Sky. Currently Eric teaches writing workshops and is editor-in-chief and publisher of Moon Tide Press and Spillway Magazine. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach, and lives in Los Angeles, CA $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #ericmorago #moontidepress #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #Poetry #ocopenmic #poetrycommunity #poet
Sutichai (Chai) Savathasuk, or Mr. Chai Tea, is an autistic 3rd-generation Thai-American spoken-word artist from LA. With a background in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge, he blends comedy and poetry, captivating audiences with laughter and inspiration. A Sunday Jump and Palms Up Academy regular, Chai promotes empathy through his unique experiences as a nerd and adventurer, reminding us to find joy in our passions and seek connection. From mics to milk teas, hiking trails or board games, his enthusiasm for life shines through. You can find him at local boba shops and on Instagram: @mr.chai_tea. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #chaitea #mrchaitea #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #chaisavathasuk #howchaiteaismade #poetryidiots #ocopenmic
We want YOU to be a part of this dope lineup for Friday’s event @xzbtlife! We’re celebrating Eddy Rotten’s Dozen Cousins with some great performances, dj sets and an open mic! Winner of the open mic gets an interview on the show! 7-10pm Friday in Fullerton! See you there! #fullerton #music #openmicnight #ocopenmic #hiphop #dope
REPOST • @poetryidiots Derrick Engoy @derrickengoy is a poet, writer, and pastor who believes words are meant to bring truth and life to people, rather than being used to hurt or destroy one another. Derrick discovered a passion for creative writing in the mid-90s and has since used poetry and spoken word to make sense of the world around him. His recently released book, “Letters,” published by @goldscriptco, is a collection of poems written to various reaches of life, including his home, the city, his kin, God, and loss. Derrick has four other publications under his belt. He has a B.A. in print journalism, with a minor in creative writing. When he’s not writing or reciting, Derrick enjoys experiencing life with his wife and three boys. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . #derrickengoy #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #pinoypoet #poetrycommunity #letters
Derrick Engoy @derrickengoy is a poet, writer, and pastor who believes words are meant to bring truth and life to people, rather than being used to hurt or destroy one another. Derrick discovered a passion for creative writing in the mid-90s and has since used poetry and spoken word to make sense of the world around him. His recently released book, “Letters,” published by @goldscriptco, is a collection of poems written to various reaches of life, including his home, the city, his kin, God, and loss. Derrick has four other publications under his belt. He has a B.A. in print journalism, with a minor in creative writing. When he’s not writing or reciting, Derrick enjoys experiencing life with his wife and three boys. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . #derrickengoy #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #pinoypoet #poetrycommunity #letters
Hello everyone and happy November! Come join us for open mic for to welcome winter in! $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poetry #poets #poetrycommunity
Arroyo Seco Press is dedicated to providing a voice for authors and artists who express themselves in poetry, fiction, memoir, art, photography, and more. We are especially focused on emerging artists. Come enjoy four poets from the Arroyo Seco Press' Blue Book chapbook series, a no frills chapbooks of Poetry, Memoir, Fiction, and more. Featuring: Zachary Lopiccolo Aruni Wijesinghe Kevin Ridgeway S.J. Perry $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #arroyosecopress #aruniwijesinghe #zacharylopiccolo #sjperry #kevinridgeway #bluebook #poetry #poets #poetrycommunity
Happy Early Halloween! Tonight we’ll be having a spooky open mic, so bring your autumnal poems and come celebrate! . . . . . #halloween #openmic #ocopenmic #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poet #poetry
Cynthia Guardado /Gwarr-Dah-Doe/ (she/her/hers) is the daughter of Salvadoran born parents, a poet, and Professor of English at Fullerton College. She is the Editor-in-Chief of LiveWire, an online literary magazine. She is the author of two collections of poetry: Cenizas (University of Arizona Press 2022) and ENDEAVOR (World Stage Press 2017). She is also the author of the craft chap Memories We Never Had: Writing in a Postcolonial Existence published by Sundress Publications (2023) which is available to all as a free digital download. Her poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Huizache, U.S. Latinx Voices in Poetry, The Wandering Song. She also won the Concurso Binacional De Poesía Pellicer-Frost in 2017 (México) and Cenizas was a finalist for the National Poetry Series in 2019. $4 cover fee, cash only No one will be turned away for lack of funds, just ask for Ben or Ellen. . . . . . #cynthiaguardado #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity
J.D. Isip (he/him) is the author of Kissing the Wound (Moon Tide Press, 2023) and Pocketing Feathers (Sadie Girl Press, 2015). He’s a local boy who has an AA from Long Beach City College and both a BA and MA from Cal State Fullerton. He received his doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and he decided to stay in Texas where he teaches at Collin College. His biggest fans and those who benefit most from his book sales are his dogs Ivy and Bucky (if you see the pictures, you’ll buy more books – promise). $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #jdisip #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #moontidepress #kissingthewound #poet #poetrycommunity #pocketingfeathers
J.D. Isip (he/him) is the author of Kissing the Wound (Moon Tide Press, 2023) and Pocketing Feathers (Sadie Girl Press, 2015). He’s a local boy who has an AA from Long Beach City College and both a BA and MA from Cal State Fullerton. He received his doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and he decided to stay in Texas where he teaches at Collin College. His biggest fans and those who benefit most from his book sales are his dogs Ivy and Bucky (if you see the pictures, you’ll buy more books – promise). $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #jdisip #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #moontidepress #kissingthewound #poet #poetrycommunity #pocketingfeathers
For almost thirty years, G. Murray Thomas was a regular on the SoCal poetry scene, as poet, host, editor, publisher, and journalist. From 1994 to 1998 he published Next… Magazine, a monthly poetry calendar/newsmagazine. He is the author of two full-length collections of poetry, Cows on the Freeway (iUniverse) and My Kidney Just Arrived, and well as the editor of two anthologies, Paper Shredders (iUniverse) and News Clips and Ego Trips (Write Bloody). In 2018 he left SoCal and moved to upstate NY to take care of his parents. He only recently reemerged into the world of poetry. In 2024 Moontide Press will publish his (as yet untitled) book about the experience of caring for parents with dementia. For more information, visit gmurraythomas.com (although the website is, admittedly, woefully out of date). $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #gmurraythomas #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #ocopenmic #openmic
Iris De Anda @lawriterunderground a Guanaca Tapatia poet, speaker & musician who has been featured with KPFK & KPFA Pacifica Radio, organized with Academy of American Poets, performed at Los Angeles Latino Book Festival, CECUT in Tijuana,Mexico, Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba and is named one of Today's Revolutionary Women of Color. Author of Codeswitch: Fires from Mi Corazon 2014 Los Writers Underground Press, Roots of Redemption: You have No Right to Remain Silent 2022 Flowersong Press, & Loose Poems a collection of B-side poems & songs 2022 Multimedia Militia. www.lawriterunderground.com $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #irisdeanda #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #flowersongpress #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Hello everyone! We have a very special feature on 9/13 to celebrate our original co-hosts Ben Trigg and Steve Ramirez (who does exist)! Please come for this reuniting extravaganza and listen to their incredible poems. Ben Trigg dreams of being Truly Outrageous, striving to be a safe space for all, but especially the queer community. He is one third of Two Idiots Peddling Poetry at the Ugly Mug in Orange, California, a weekly series that has been running since 2000. Ben’s poetry has been described (buy him) as the sweet spot junction of heartfelt, pop culture, and comedy. His collection Kindness from a Dark God came out on Moon Tide Press in 2007. He co-edited the anthology Don't Blame the Ugly Mug: 10 Years of 2 Idiots Peddling Poetry. When all else fails, Ben goes to Disneyland. Steve Ramirez has never been captured on film (unless you count the spectral image taken at the infamous 1951 séance). He keeps to himself at the wrong times. While attempting to dance with a drop of rain at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in Wichita Falls, he discovered a talent for fog. Most nights, he can be found covering the pier. Yesterday morning, he graciously accepted the award for Most Inspired before falling back to sleep. He usually sees at 24 frames per second, but when kissing switches to a high speed camera on a revolving track. Previous occupations include: coal miner, poltergeist, hubcap salesman, medical leech, spatial geographer and mongoose. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #bentrigg #steveramirez #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poets #poetry #poetrycommunity
James Kelly started writing poems in the blank pages of his high school textbooks in Las Vegas in the early 1980's. After ████████ some ███████ █████████████████████████████████████████████████ things ███████████ █████████████████████████████████████ happened ████████████████ ████████, James received an MFA from the UCI Programs in Creative Writing in 1998. His current day-job is at Chapman University, supporting the university's computational research systems and supercomputing clusters. He lives in Orange, CA, with his wife, the one of his two kids who hasn't moved out yet, and a very large dog." $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #jameskelly #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #poet #poetry
Susan Hayden is a multigenre writer on a scavenger hunt for love, magic and home in a disappearing landscape. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies including Beat Not Beat (Moon Tide Press), Los Angeles In the 1970s/Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine (Rare Bird Books), I Might Be the Person You Are Talking To (Padua Playwrights Press), and The Black Body (Seven Stories Press). Hayden is the creator/producer of Library Girl, a monthly literary series in its 14th year at the Ruskin Group Theatre. She is the recipient of the Artist In the Community/Bruria Finkel Award from Santa Monica Arts Foundation. The proud mother of singer-songwriter Mason Summit, she lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband, music journalist Steve Hochman. Now You Are a Missing Person (Moon Tide Press) is her first published book. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #susanhayden #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #moontidepress #nowyouareamissingperson #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #memoir #uglymugcafe #poetrycommunity
Susan Hayden is a multigenre writer on a scavenger hunt for love, magic and home in a disappearing landscape. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies including Beat Not Beat (Moon Tide Press), Los Angeles In the 1970s/Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine (Rare Bird Books), I Might Be the Person You Are Talking To (Padua Playwrights Press), and The Black Body (Seven Stories Press). Hayden is the creator/producer of Library Girl, a monthly literary series in its 14th year at the Ruskin Group Theatre. She is the recipient of the Artist In the Community/Bruria Finkel Award from Santa Monica Arts Foundation. The proud mother of singer-songwriter Mason Summit, she lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband, music journalist Steve Hochman. Now You Are a Missing Person (Moon Tide Press) is her first published book. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #susanhayden #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #moontidepress #nowyouareamissingperson #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #memoir #uglymugcafe #poetrycommunity
Born in a blizzard in NY, Bernadette McComish is an educator and fortuneteller. She earned an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence and an M.A. in TESOL from Hunter College. Her poems have appeared in The Los Angeles Press, The Cortland Review, For Women Who Roar, Slipstream, Flypaper Magazine, Waxing and Waning, Peregrine, Indolent Books, and Rising Phoenix, and won the 2022 Kali Moksha prize for poetry, and she was a finalist for the New Millennium Writers 41st poetry prize. Her chapbook— The Book of Johns was published in 2018 by Dancing Girls Press, and her second chapbook was published by Lily Poetry Review in September 2021. She teaches High School in LA, and performs poetry, and produces shows with The Poetry Society of New York making poetry accessible to everyone. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #bernadettemccomish #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #thebookofjohns #poet #poetrycommunity
Courtney Montgomery is a local singer-songwriter from Costa Mesa, California. She prefers the mystery of short bios, and forcing her friends to write longer, more detailed observations about her style but we aren't falling for it this time! Jeffrey McDaniel is an American poet. He has published six books of poetry, most recently Holiday in the Islands of Grief. He is the recipient of a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #courtneymontgomery #jeffreymcdaniel #ocopenmic #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #uglymug #musician #poetryidiots #poetry #poet #poetryidiotsanniversary
Ceasar Avelar is a blue collar worker that writes exclusively through the lens of the working class. He is the author of God Of The Air Hose published by @elmartillopress. He is also the proud poet laureate of the city of Pomona, and is the host and founder of obsidian Tongues Open Mic at @cafeconlibross. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #cesarkavelar #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #elmartillopress
Margaret Elysia Garcia @writerchickmama is the author of short story collection Graft, published by Tolsun Books in 2022, and the just released daughterland poems, published by El Martillo Press June 2023, as well as the poetry chapbook Burn Scars published by Lit Kit Collective in 2022. She’s the co-editor of Red Flag Warning: Northern Californians Living With Fire, and anthology to be published by HeyDay Books in 2024. She teaches poetry with Community Literary Initiative, Los Angeles. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #margaretelysiagarcia #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #elmartillopress #daughterland #ocopenmic #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity
Mike Sonksen aka Mike the PoeT is a 3rd-generation Southern Californian. Poet, professor, journalist, historian & tour-guide, his book Letters to My City was published by Writ Large Press. He’s been giving Los Angeles city tours for 25 years. He’s written for Poets & Writers, Metropolis, KCET, Alta, Wax Poetics, PBS, LA Taco, LA Review of Books, LAist, Boom and the Academy of American Poets. His poetry’s been featured on Public Radio Stations KCRW, KPCC & KPFK & Spectrum News. Sonksen studied with Mike Davis at UCLA in 1997, he’s the Coordinator of the First Year Experience Program at Woodbury University and he’s been awarded by the Los Angeles Press Club. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #mikethepoet #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #uglymugcafe #losangelespoet #ocopenmic #poetrycommunity
Let’s not forget the Coollab open mic is going up this Thursday 7/13!! Hosted by @samy_love__ ♥️ with house band @apollobebop 🎷 featuring @ybg714 🍊 Sign ups start at 6 PM 📝 6:30-7 PM: Open Jam 🎸 and we’ll be rocking from 7-9 PM! #coollabthat #everybodygetsLOVE #4thstreetmarket #thecoollabproject #dtsa #ocmusic #ocpoetry #ocopenmic #orangecounty #downtownsantaana
Daniel Romo is the author of Bum Knees and Grieving Sunsets (FlowerSong Press 2023), Moonlighting as an Avalanche (Tebot Bach 2021), Apologies in Reverse (FutureCycle Press 2019), When Kerosene’s Involved (Mojave River Press 2014), and Romancing Gravity (Silver Birch Press 2013). His writing and photography can be found in The Los Angeles Review, Yemassee, Hotel Amerika, and elsewhere. He received an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte, and he lives, teaches, and rides his bikes in Long Beach, CA. More at danieljromo.com. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #danielromo #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #poetryidiots #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity #flowersongpress #longbeachpoet
@aiacollaborative FIRST EVER OPEN MIC 📍 LONG BEACH, CA. ‼️ DETAILS ON EVENT BRITE (LINK IN BIO) 🖼️: @fpwonderful Inviting all creatives and artists to @supply_and_demand_lbc to share their talents‼️ ⭐️SINGERS, RAPPERS, COMEDIANS, MUSICIANS, DANCERS, POETS, ETC⭐️ . . . . . #openmiclosangeles #laopenmic #performnow #losangelesopenmic #losangelesmusic #weeklymusiciansopenmic #lasingers #losangelesevents #musicindustry #openmicla #losangelesvendors #talentedmusicians #lasinger #lashowcase #musiciansofla #lasongwriters #longbeachopenmic #lbopenmic #openmiclb #ocopenmic #openmicoc #longbeachrappers #longbeachsinger
Jireh (they/them) is a queer Asian American writer and filmmaker born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. Their words on L.A. appear in The Guardian, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, NPR, The L.A. Times and more. They co-direct the Asian American Journalists Association LGBTQIA+ affinity group and serve as a national board representative for its L.A. chapter. They’ve been a recipient of writing fellowships from the Key West Literary Seminar and Brooklyn Poets. Their poetry and prose appear in The Rumpus, Asian American Writers’ Workshop, the Human Rights Campaign, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and more. In 2022, they directed a short documentary about a transgender Asian American elder, MIA’S MISSION, which has been selected to screen several film festivals including the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. You can follow them on Instagram at @bokchoy_baobei. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #jirehdeng #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #poetrycommunity #poet #poetry
Join us on Thursday at the Anaheim Public Library! They are going to be featuring the one and only Dania Ayah Alkhouli (author of CONTORTIONIST TONGUE) on July 6th. Save the date! We'd love to see you there! . . . . . #daniaayahalkhouli #contortionisttongue #moontidepress #anaheimpubliclibrary #ocopenmic #poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Arthur Kayzakian is the winner of the 2021 inaugural Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series for his collection, The Book of Redacted Paintings, which was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. He is the recipient of the 2023 creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He is also the winner of the PS Straosse award for poems in Prairie Schooner and the Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition for, My Burning City. He serves as the Poetry Chair for the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA). His work has appeared in several publications, including The Adroit Journal, Portland Review, Chicago Review, Cincinnati Review, The Southern Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Witness Magazine. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #arthurkayzakian #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #ocopenmic #thebookofredactedpaintings #blacklawrencepress #poet #poetrycommunity
@ohohsheilaa (she/they) is a first-generation Iranian-American poet, educator, and new auntie nuzzled in the Southern California coast. Her work has been featured with the United Nations, TEDx, House of Blues, Write About Now, Tinderbox Poetry, BOAAT, and many other gems. They are a two time finalist for the Not A Cult Poetry Book contest, winning the second time around. Sheila released her debut book Birthday Girl in November 2020 with Not A Cult Press. She is currently working at Street Poets Inc and pursuing her Master's in Psychology, specializing in Applied Community Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #sheilajsadr #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #birthdaygirl #poetryidiots #ocopenmic #uglymugcafe #iranianpoet #poet #poetry #longbeachpoet #notacultpress
We’re back in 2 days! Stop by & vibe with us 🥳🎶 @itisi.lein will be playing some tunes too! hosted by @samy_love__ with house band @apollobebop 📍@4thstreetmarket #4thstreetmarket #thecoollabproject #dtsa #ocmusic #ocpoetry #ocopenmic #orangecounty #downtownsantaana #coollabthat
Tresha Faye Haefner is a writer who has lived in California, Costa Rica and North Carolina. Her work has won the Robert and Adele Schiff Prize, the Pangea Prize, and been a finalist for the River Heron Poetry Prize, Best of the Net and several Pushcart prizes. She is author of The Lone Breakable Night (Finishing Line Press) and Method and Mystery: A Research Based Guide to Teaching Poetry (The Poetry Salon Press). She is founder of and lead instructor at The Poetry Salon. To find out more, visit www.thepoetrysalon.com. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #treshafayehaefner #uglymugcafe #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetryidiots #poetrysalon #ocopenmic #poet #poetry
Mike Vitale is a singer/songwriter/musician/producer/forward-slash enthusiast, based out of Los Angeles, CA. When not preoccupied with music related things, he enjoys short walks on long beaches with his two border collies, Border and Collie. He is certain that this sentence is useless, but also doesn’t believe in absolutes. The dogs may or may not be fictional. All the other stuff is probably true. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #mikevitale #musician #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #ocopenmic
Come down to the Coollab TOMORROW NIGHT for live music & jams from @prettypapes and more ⚡️ hosted by @samy_love__ right here in DTSA! 📍@4thstreetmarket #4thstreetmarket #thecoollabproject #dtsa #ocmusic #ocpoetry #ocopenmic #orangecounty #downtownsantaana #coollabthat
Donato Martinez was born in in small pueblo, Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated into USA at six years old. He teaches English composition, Literature, and Creative Writing at Santa Ana College. He has also taught classes in Chicano Studies. He has also been a co-coordinator of the Puente Program for 25 years and has presented workshop sessions at the both the regional and state level. He has also spoken at many motivational and educational conferences. He hosts and curates many artistic events that feature poetry and music at his campus or in the community. These events generate large crowds and active participation. He is also a poet and writes about his barrio upbringing, his community, his culture, his bi-cultural and bilingual identities and other complexities of life. He is influenced by the sounds and pulse of the streets, people, music, and the magic of language. He has a self-published collection with three other Inland Empire poets, Tacos de Lengua. His work has been published by City Works, Eastside Rose, Acentos Review, The San Diego Poetry Annual, Ofrenda Magazine, Mixtape Literary Journal, Latin@Literatures, and La Raiz Magazine. His full length collection of poetry, Touch the Sky, will be published in May by El Martillo Press. He loves the outdoors and is inspired by music and books and other artistic expressions, and his children, Gabriel and Abigail. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #donatomartinez #uglymugcafe #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #ocopenmic
@linda.ravenswood , founding editor in Chief at The Los Angeles Press, is an Oxford Prize in Poetry winner from Los Angeles. She is the current Edwin Markham Poet, selected by US Poet Laureate emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera. She is the 2023 winner of the Arthur Smith Prize in Poetry from Madville Press. Educated at CalArts (BFA 2007) and Mount St. Mary’s College (MA 2009) with a PhD abd from the Pacifica Graduate Institute (2014) Linda’s arts praxes include collaboration, teaching, & curating arts events & publications. Working with arts organizations including The Poetry Society of New York, and Red Light Lit San Francisco, Linda fuses visual and performance art in formal poetry reading and burlesque venues, as well as deconstructed live literature events. Publications include Cantadora – Letters from California (Eyewear London/Black Spring Press Group, 2023), The Stan Poems (Pedestrian Press, 2022), a poem is a house (2023), The 500 – The End of Conquest (Alternating Currents Press, 2024) and If we never meet again: A Pandemic diary (X Artists’ Books, 2024). Linda is the founder of the poet laureate programme in Glendale, California and introduces the renewed Poets Café programme on KPFK in Los Angeles on Wednesday’s at 2:00 p.m. Find her at The Los Angeles Press www.thelosangelespress.com $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #lindaravenswoodpoetry #lindaravenswood #uglymugcafe #poetryopennic #ocopenmic #poetryidiots #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #poetrycommunity #lapoet
brb adding this artist to the weekly rotation ✨🎧 come see @_omoghene perform live this Thursday at The Coollab Project!! Hosted by @samy_love__ with house band @apollobebop (peep the new album 😉) Sign ups start at 6 PM 📝 6:30-7 PM: Open Jam 🎸 and we’ll be rocking from 7-9 PM! #coollabthat #everybodygetsLOVE #4thstreetmarket #thecoollabproject #dtsa #ocmusic #ocpoetry #ocopenmic #orangecounty #downtownsantaana
Melissa Lussier is a singer/songwriter/poetess who began writing and singing at the age of 4. Hailing from the rust belt city of Buffalo, NY, she dove into SoCal five years ago and has since been enjoying the sunshine, wild parrots, and eclectic art scene. Melissa is highly passionate about gender issues and social justice, and is currently hosting the Kindling Salon Circle Art Series at Hellada Gallery. When not performing, Melissa can be found shaking it on the dance floor, traveling, staging photo shoots of her cat, Mr Tweakers, or in her kitchen, where she loves creating culinary art. $4 cover fee, cash only . . . . . #melissalussier #twoidiotspeddlingpoetry #uglymugcafe #ocopenmic #Poet #poetry #poetrycommunity
Get ready for a night of soulful sounds from @aloncrooks TOMORROW NIGHT at The Coollab Project Open Mic 🎤🎶 Hosted by @samy_love__ with house band @apollobebop 🙌🏽 Sign ups start at 6 PM 📝 6:30-7 PM: Open Jam 🥁 and we’ll be rocking from 7-9 PM! Tell a friend to tell a friend to stop by! #coollabthat #everybodygetsLOVE #4thstreetmarket #thecoollabproject #dtsa #ocmusic #ocpoetry #ocopenmic #orangecounty #downtownsantaana