Welcome to The Poetry Center

The Poetry Center co-presents, in conjunction with TurkxTaylor Initiative and with co-curation by Emji Saint Spero and Leila Weefur, Trans* Temporal Resistances, in which writers and artists are invited to deconstruct trans archives and architectures through textual and movement-based approaches. Situated within a district in which desire has historically been boundaried and confined, these performances engage Queer Time as an embodied strategy of resistance. The performance series, mirroring an open assemblage model, invites three local writers, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta, Mason J., and Rowan Powell. 

The Poetry Center presents poets Lynn Xu and Jacob Kahn, each reading their work then joining in conversation with one another and their audience. Xu's book, And Those Ashen Heaps That Cantilevered Vase of Moonlight (Wave Books, 2022), is selected by Kahn to receive The Poetry Center Book Award, given each year since 1980 to an outstanding book of poems. Join us for this online-only event. Register here.

The Poetry Center presents the fourth iteration of its New Voice Series, featuring poet Jennifer S. Cheng, with Karla Myn Khine, and Evelyn Jo. The New Voice Series brings together a poet alum of SF State's Creative Writing MFA (or MA) program, a current graduate student in that program, and an undergrad poet (any major) selected from across the SF State campus. Poetry Center student staff select the undergraduate poet, based on an open call for work, and introduce the writers. Following the poets, we'll turn it into a party with music by Neblinas del Pacífico (whose members include current MFA candidate in Creative Writing May-li Khoe and Federico Ardila, Professor of Mathematics at SF State) along with some food and drinks. Join us!