Hold the Light Poetry Reading April 30, 2010

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SF Poetry Examiner
Poets hold the light for Haiti, Chile & China in April 30 fundraiser
April 22, 11:23 AMSF Poetry Examiner Jannie Dresser


Poets know how to hit it out of the ballpark when it comes to humanitarian fundraisers. On Friday, April 30, 6-9 pm, Oakland poet and activist Wanda Sabir will be joined by poets and writers from all over the Bay Area to assist the earthquake-ravaged communities of Haiti, Chili, and China.

The event, sponsored by the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, PEN-Oakland, PEN-USA, the Before Columbus Foundation and the San Francisco Bayview newspaper, will take place at the Islamic Cultural Center in Oakland, 1433 Madison Street. My advice would be to come early to get a good seat.

Sabir (pictured left) will introduce Haitian poet Boadiba who will give the keynote address. (Boadiba and San Francisco poet Jack Hirschman recently co-translated a book of Haitian poetry, Voudou Songs from Savalou E, or a Word to the Wise (Is Enough), that was published by Berkeley's CC. Marimbo press.)

Over two-dozen Bay Area writers will participate and present one poem each in this evening's poetry extravaganza. A donation of $5 to $10 will be asked at the door, however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds, and for those who can afford to give more, they will earn Angel Points for their generous contributions and know that the money will be wisely spent by Doctors Without Borders, the fundraiser's beneficiary.

For more information, contact: Kim McMillon at kimmac@pacbell.net or call (510) 681-5652, or go to www.penoakland.org.

The list of participating poets and writers reads like a veritable who's who of Bay Area literarary illuminati and includes the following:

San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane di Prima

Al Young, California Poet Laureate Emeritus

Former San Francisco Poet Laureate devorah major

Alameda Poet Laureate Mary Rudge

Pleasanton Poet Laureate Deborah Grossman

PEN President Floyd Salas

Ishmael Reed (founder of the Before Columbus Foundation)

Michael McClure

Claire Ortalda

Tennessee Reed

Shailja Patel

Jack & Adelle Foley

Lucha Corpi

Maya Chinchilla

Oscar Bermeo

Meg Day

Amir Rabiyah

Sharon Doubiago

Kiala Givehand

Karla Brundage

Vanessa Huang

John Curl

Kari McAllister

La Tigresa

Joan Gelfand

Ayodele Nzinga

Nina Serrano

Mamacoatl

Rafael Jesús González

Andrew Hayes

Kirk Lumpkin

Kim Shuck

Ava Square LeVias

Augusta Lee Collins

Daniel Y. Harris

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