For the first time ever, the San Francisco Public Library is throwing teens an exclusive after-hours party! On the evening of October 16, the Main Library will be open for teens only. (All adults must be accompanied by a teen!)

Presented in partnership with LitQuake, TeenQuake will be a total takeover of the Main Library featuring a young adult author panel, emcee battle, teen performances in poetry, dance, and music, along with writing workshops, a scavenger hunt with prizes, and more!

Contact teenquake (at) gmail (dot) com for more information or call 415-557-4268.  You can also visit teenquake.org for more details!

• First 50 teens at the door will receive a free swag bag
• Author panels — zombies, vampires, and Emily the Stange
• Performances by 826 Valencia, Streetside Stories, Youth Speaks, and WritersCorps
• Patricipate in a scavenger hunt for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii!
• Write the longest poem in history
• Win $50 at an emcee battle (Sign up at primorocks (at) hotmail (dot) com)
• Workshops with free suff
• Live art wall — watch as it happens!

What: TeenQuake

When: Friday, October 16, 6:30 to 9:30 pm

Where: San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St

Cost: Free

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Join youth poets from WritersCorps at the San Francisco International Poetry Festival. We’ll be showing short  documentaries about five WritersCorps poets. After seeing them on screen, meet them in person! The poets will be there to read their work and share their stories.

Featured readers are: Indiana Pehlivanova, Sandra Pulido, Antonio Caceres, Annie Yu, and Robin Black

When: Saturday, July 25, 2009, 12 to 2 pm

Where: Western Addition Branch Library
1550 Scott Street, San Francisco

Cost: Free

Stephen Beachy, Dani Montgomery, marcos ramirez, Cathy Arellano, Aja Couchois Duncan and Elissa Perry read their work from “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds” and share insights about teaching for WritersCorps through community settings like Larkin Street and Brava. To learn more about the writers, go here.

What: WritersCorps presents “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds” at the Queer Arts Festival

When: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 7:30 to 9:00 pm

Where: San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market St, San Francisco

Cost: $12 to $20 sliding scale. Purchase tickets online here.

Fresh off the press!

Robin Black, Indiana Pehlivanova, Marcella Ortiz, Sandra Pulido and Annie Yu perform from their newly released chapbooks.

The poets explore poetry from the heart, writing about their lives. Experience twenty-six pages of blue fire. Take a piece of their minds home with you. Come celebrate! Enjoy the performance and stay for light refreshments and snacks. And even take home a chapbook or two. Collect them all!

What: Something Poetic: WritersCorps Apprentices Chapbook Release Party

When: June 20, 4 to 5:30 pm

Where: Galeria de la Raza,  2857 24th St

Cost: Free admission

WritersCorps launches “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sound” in Washington, D.C.

“Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds” is a collection of work — both poetry and prose — from the talented people who have formed the ranks of WritersCorps teachers.

Come to a book discussion and hear former WritersCorps teachers read their work and describe their experiences as they taught writing in prisons, halfway houses, shelter and schools, forging relationships with people from diverse ethnicities, ages and backgrounds.

Hosted by former WritersCorps teacher Joy Jones.  Featuring Kenny Carroll, Ryan Grim, Livia Kent, Uchechi Kalu, Melissa Tuckey, and Joy Jones. Greg Bargeman, actor and librarian, will give a performance. Refreshments will be served.  Plus, the first 20 guests will receive a free copy of “Days” or the WritersCorps student anthology “Tell the World.”

When: Tuesday, June 16, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Historical Society of Washington D.C.
The Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square
801 K Street N.W., Washington D.C.  20001

Across K Street from the Washington Convention Center, 2 blocks north of the Chinatown Metro, climb the curvy stairs to entrance.

Cost: Free!

Thank you to our partners: The Spoken Word, Humanities Council of Washington D.C., The Literary Friends of D.C. Public Library, National Home Library Foundation

Poetry and baseball, together at last! WritersCorps is the featured community partner at this game as the Giants take on the L.A. Angels. Our students will read at home plate at the start of the game.

What: Write Like a Giant

When: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco

Cost: A ticket to the game is required.

Poetry duets never sounded so sweet. WritersCorps students, paired with their teachers, read together in this all-ages event. Co-sponsored by 826 Valencia and Intersection for the Arts.

Performing are Michelle Matz, Jime Salcedo-Malo,  Alison Seevak, Toussaint Haki, and their students.

What: Poetry Pairings, A WritersCorps Reading

When: Friday, June 5, 2009, 7 to 8 pm

Where: 826 Valencia
826 Valencia St, San Francisco

Cost: Free!

WritersCorps teachers are the featured guest readers at the Bay Area Writing Project’s monthly reading series. The Bay Area Writing Project, housed in UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, is a collaborative program between UC Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area schools, providing resources for teachers and schools.

Mahru Elahi, Cindy Je, Kim Nelson, and Aracely Gonzalez read from “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds,” the newest anthology from WritersCorps featuring creative work by writers who have taught in our program. Followed by an open reading featuring Bay Area Writing Project teachers.

What: WritersCorps at Bay Area Writing Project

When: Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 5 to 6:30 pm

Where: Nomad Cafe
6500 Shattuck Ave, Oakland

Cost: Free! But please note the Nomad Cafe has a one-drink minimum for audience.

WritersCorps students from all over the city come together to perform in this annual end-of-the-year celebration. Expect powerful performances and new books and publications featuring writing and art by WritersCorps students.

A special screening of  the film “This Place Called Poetry” by Katharine Gin begins at 5:30 pm for those who arrive early. The reading begins at 6. An ice cream reception follows at 7.

What: WritersCorps Literary Festival

When: Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Where: San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorum, 100 Larkin St

Cost: Free

WritersCorps teachers join poets from June Jordan’s Poetry for the People for a dynamic evening of spoken word. Representing WritersCorps are Chrissy Anderson-Zavala, marcos ramírez and Ananda Esteva. They’ll be sharing from “Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds,” the latest WritersCorps anthology.

What: WritersCorps at Poetry for the People

When: Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 7:00 pm

Where: Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley, Lipman Room, 8th Floor

Cost: Free