A reading by six writers, all officers or Board members of PEN Oakland:  Floyd Salas, Claire Ortalda, Sharon Doubiago, Kirk Lumpkin, Judith Cody and John Curl.

PEN Oakland (the “blue collar PEN”) was founded in 1989 to promote emerging multi-cultural literature and to educate about the nature of that work.  PEN Oakland annually dispenses awards to books and authors that reflect a multi-cultural or marginalized viewpoint while representing the highest standards of literature, and also honor a writer of conscience with a literary censorship award.  They have also published anthologies, organized symposia, and engaged the media in a dialogue toward a deeper understanding of non-traditional literature.  They ain’t kiddin’ around!

Readers:

Floyd Salas, recipient of NEA and California Arts Council fellowships among other awards and honors, is the critically-acclaimed author of a memoir, two volumes of poetry, and four novels, including Tattoo the Wicked Cross, which earned a place on the San Francisco Chronicle’s Western 100 List of Best 20th Century Fiction.

Claire Ortalda, winner of Georgia State University and national Hackney Fiction Prizes, among other awards, is a fiction writer and poet who has been published in numerous literary journals.

Sharon Doubiago is the author of many books of poetry, stories, essays and memoir. My Father’s Love, volume’s 1 and 2 are her most recently published books.

Kirk Lumpkin is a poet, performer, lyricist, environmentalist, cultural worker, and event creator. He is the author of two books of poetry, In Deep and Co-Hearing. He has released two poetry/music CDs, The Word-Music Continuum and Sound Poems.

Judith Cody is a national award winning poet and composer whose poetry has been published in over 80 literary journals and anthologies.  One of her poems, in both Spanish and English translations, is in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. Her latest poetry book is Between Bytes.

John Curl is a poet whose latest collection is Revolutionary Alchemy with a foreword by Jack Hirschman.  Hirschman writes, “John Curl has earned a place—with this book of poems—among the foremost revolutionary American poets since the end of WW2.”