On the 9/4/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Yolo County poet Joseph Finkleman calls in to discuss two-voice poems. He describes the process behind these poems, stating that he utilizes the tension between different speakers as a tool in his art making. Finkleman states that he uses dialogic traits, such as the ways couples finish each other's sentences, to inspire his poetic practices. He then shares a poem, “The Sacred Plans of Small Spaces” which was a fan favorite at the Natsoulas Gallery. Laura Renee Frautso is the next guest, and discusses her experience as a returning fellow at Creature Conserve. She describes the interdisciplinary work she does at Creature Conserve, which entails developing the organization's writing community. Frautso also describes the peer-review process that the magazine goes through, which synthesizes what one would expect from a poetry workshop and the scientific referring process. She then describes her participation in the Ohio Chapter of ArtsVote, where she tries to create networks that encourage individuals to vote.

Joseph Finkleman was born in Hollywood California. He graduated with a BFA and a MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has studied literature in German, Spanish, Portuguese and English. He has been a Spoken Word Poet for 30+ years. He and his wife Susan Finkleman have one chapbook of their two-voice poetry Picture Cloud Quilt/ Torn Silk by Rattlesnake Press. They have two CDs of professionally recorded poems. Finkleman is a visual artist, having been in 117 exhibitions spanning the last fifty-six years. In 2023 he finished his first graphic novel Happy Tooth. He has written librettos for chamber opera, A Blank Page and You Who Know.

Lauren Renee Frausto is a poet, editor, educator, and project manager. Her professional background is in motion graphics and publishing, and her academic background is in science literature and science writing. Her current research and creative writing focus on the use of metaphor in wildlife conservation science communication. You can find her writing in Cola Literary Review, Consilience Art and Science Journal, New Plains Review, and Raw Art Review.

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 9/4/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:
Joshua McKinney phones in to express his gratitude for having won Gunpowder Press’s John Ridland Poetry Prize. He describes the vision and meaning behind the artwork on the cover of his new book Sad Animal. McKinney then shares a sonnet titled “American Idiom” before discussing his schedule as a retired professor. Susan Kelly-DeWitt joins next and shares her praise for Gunpowder Press’s recent publications. She speaks about her longstanding involvement in the Sacramento Poetry Scene. Kelly-DeWitt also talks about the craft of her new release Frangible Operas. She then shares a poem about her upbringing in Oahu, “After the War.” before sharing the intricacies of her writing processes.

Joshua McKinney’s fifth book of poetry, Sad Animal (Gunpowder Press, 2024), was the recipient of the John Ridland Poetry Prize. His work has appeared in such journals as Boulevard, Denver Quarterly, Kenyon Review, New American Writing, and many others. He is co-editor of the online ecopoetics journal, Clade Song.

Susan Kelly-DeWitt is the author of The Fortunate Islands (Marick Press, 2008), Spider Season (Cold River Press, 2016), Gravitational Tug (Main Street Rag Publishers, 2020), Gatherers’ Alphabet (Gunpowder Press, 2022), and, most recently, Frangible Operas (Gunpowder Press, 2024). Earlier collections include A Camellia for Judy (Frith Press, 1998), Feather’s Hand (Swan Scythe Press, 2000), To A Small Moth (Poet’s Corner Press, 2001), Susan Kelly-DeWitt’s Greatest Hits (Pudding House, 2003), The Land (Rattlesnake Press, 2005), The Book of Insects (Spruce Street Press, 2003) and Cassiopeia Above the Banyan Tree (Rattlesnake Press, 2007) and an illustrated short story The Audience (Uptown Books, 2007). Her work has been included in many national and regional anthologies including The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry (Autumn House Press), When She Named Fire: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by American Women (Autumn House Press), In Whatever Houses We May Visit: An Anthology of Poems That Have Inspired Physicians (American College of Physicians) and Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women’s Poetry (Beacon Press). Her poems have appeared in Poetry, Prairie Schooner, New Letters, North American Review and many others. Susan has been the recipient of a Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, The Chicago Literary Award from Another Chicago Magazine, the Bazzanella Award for Short Fiction and a number of Pushcart nominations.

The Poetry Night Reading Series is excited to feature an evening with poets Joshua McKinney and Susan Kelly-DeWitt at 7 PM on Thursday, September 5th, 2024, on the first floor of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street in Davis.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 8/28/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Poet Gabrielle Meyers joins Dr. Andy to discuss her incremental writing habits along with the release of her new release Break Self: Feed. She shares a poem from the collection titled “Spring Agrodolce” and describes the pastoral origins of her collection. She then shares a poem titled “Everything We’ve Ever Loved Must and End Die and Reverse.” The next guest on the show is Carl Whithaus. He joins Dr. Andy in a discussion of the life and career of late UC Davis Lecturer John Boe. They recall John bringing joy and curiosity to the classroom and everyday life of academia through his comedic nature. Dr. Jane Beal is the last guest of the episode. Dr. Jane recounts an early memory of her first interaction with John Boe in London. She and Dr. Andy also recall John Boe’s work as an editor for Writing on the Edge, and describe John as a forebear of the UC Davis University Writing Program. She concludes by sharing a poem called “Perspective” that reminds her of John Boe.

Gabrielle Meyers is a writer, professor, and chef. Her memoir, Hive-Mind, published in 2015, details her time of love, awakening, and tragic loss on an organic farm in the Sacramento Valley. Her first poetry book, Too Many Seeds, was published in 2021 by Finishing Line Press. Break Self: Feed is her second poetry book. Her third poetry book, Points in the Network, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2025. Her poetry has been published in the many acclaimed journals. Meyers is the Farm-to-Fork columnist for Inside Sacramento magazine. Access links to her many endeavors are through her website: www.gabriellemyers.com

Carl Whithaus is a Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of California, Davis. He has served as principal investigator for the journal Splash! milk science update since 2017 and as editor for the Journal of Writing Assessment since 2015. Carl earned his Ph.D. at the City University of New York (CUNY); he has taught at Stevens Institute of Technology, Old Dominion University, and the University of California, Davis

Dr. Jane Beal is Professor of English Literature and recent past Chair of the English Department at the University of La Verne in southern California. She is also a Lecturer in the University Writing Program at UC Davis. She received her BA, MA, and PhD in English with specializations in medieval and early modern literature. She also received a Certificate in Midwifery from Mercy in Action College of Midwifery. She has taught at Wheaton College, Colorado Christian University, and the University of La Verne, as well as UC Davis, and served as a midwife in the U.S., Uganda, and the Philippines. She regularly publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.