The Studio Series Poetry Reading & Open MicApril
9, 2023 (Sunday) @ 7:00 PM
Featuring David Wagstaff
Toshiko Nomioka and Daniel Velasquez.
David Wagstaff is a writer. His work in film, theater and music stem from this calling. He has directed some thirty plays, many of which he authored. He has written and directed four independent films, recorded nine albums of his songs and authored numerous works of fiction. His current projects include Invisible Cities, an eight-episode series, the first episode of which is complete with Cosmic Tomato Studios. A book of his short stories, “Pollen,” will be published this year by Quiet Lion Press. Last, but not least, he is a performing poet who enacts his poems accompanying himself on harmonica. He is a graduate of California Institute of the Arts.
Daniel Velasquez is a composer, a teacher, an accomplished classical guitarist, and a bassist who focuses on Latin and orchestral styles. In his youth, he traveled extensively as a professional musician, playing in rock, jazz, and Latin ensembles in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, he has served as first chair bassist in symphony orchestras for over twenty years. His compositions are an eclectic mix drawn from this wide range of musical experience.
Toshiko Nomioka is often called the Martha Graham of Japan. Her movement has, for nearly half a century, embodied the ineffable realm of one whose originality is not a deliberate act, but an inescapable and indelible part of her being. Her cultural roots, her samurai heritage, her practice of Nichiren Buddhism—these can be gleaned in her work, but they do not define it. Her performances and choreography border on the shamanic. She is, at once, singular, universal and enduring.
The Open Mic is open to all audience members. Participants can sign up before the start of the reading or during the break. In the interest of time, Open Mic readers are asked to limit their readings to three minutes.
The Ross Island Grocery and Café is a cozy space with capacity for 40 or so people. Tables are available, so people who arrive early can enjoy a light supper (i.e., a sandwich, salad or burger) while waiting for the reading to begin. If we run out of table space, folding chairs are available. A mic will enhance the readings. There is plenty of unrestricted parking on the streets around the Café.
Questions? Please contact host Leah Stenson at leahstenson@comcast.net
