The Studio Series Poetry Reading & Open Mic,
February 12, 2023 (Sunday) @ 7:00 PM.
Featuring Willa Schneberg and Emmett Wheatfall.
Willa Schneberg is a poet, ceramic sculptor, interdisciplinary artist, curator and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (LCSW) in private practice. The Naked Room, her sixth poetry collection, is a true synthesis of her life as a psychotherapist, (of one not exempt from angst), and her life as a poet. These are poems of the unconscious, the dreamscape, the despondent, the unmoored and the mortal. This work not only goes inside the inner workings of a clinician’s practice, but has a larger scope, which includes the history of psychiatric treatment with its dangerous “cures” and embedded prejudices, and treatment today and lack thereof for the houseless and insolvent for whom entering the realm of the “therapeutic hour” is a luxury beyond reach.
Among the honors Willa has received are the Oregon Book Award in Poetry, the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Award, Second Place in the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards, inclusion in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror Nineteenth Collection, two fellowships in Poetry from Literary Arts, Inc., residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell and Kathmandu, Nepal, and poems on the Writer’s Almanac. Her poetry has been translated into Hebrew, Arabic, Nepali and Korean.
Emmett Wheatfall lives in Portland, Oregon. He reads, writes, records, publishes, and performs poetry to music. Fernwood Press has published three books of Emmett’s poetry. His collection titled As Clean as a Bone was published in May 2018. As Clean as a Bone was a 2019 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist as well as a da Vinci Eye award finalist. Our Scarlet Blue Wounds was published in November 2019. His new poetry collection With Extreme Prejudice, Lest We Forget was published in May 2022. Emmett has recorded one non-lyrical (without music) poetry CD titled I Speak and four lyrical poetry (with music) CDs. They are When I Was Young (2010), I Loved You Once (2011), Them Poetry Blues (2013), and Welcome Home (2017). These CDs feature some of Oregon’s most talented jazz, blues, and gospel musicians. Somebody Told Me (2020) is his first gospel poetry single. He has released Amazing Grace (featuring LaRhonda Steele) (2020) and What a Friend We Have in Jesus (2023). For more biographical information visit http://emmettwheatfall.com.
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
