Spirits in the Air and on State Street

Potent Poetry Comes to Santa Barbara Once Again at The Good Lion

David Starkey reading at the 2023 Spirits in the Air poetry reading | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg

Kick off National Poetry Month with a shot of verse on April Fool’s Day when cocktails and poetry celebrate their 10th anniversary pairing at the annual Spirits in the Air: Potent Potable Poetry reading on Monday, April 1, at The Good Lion, 1212 State Street, in Downtown Santa Barbara.

Hosted by Indy writer and poet George Yatchisin, founder of the annual event, this always-entertaining evening begins with (a new touch) a poetic happy hour from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., followed by the poetry reading itself from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Emma Trelles reading at the 2023 Spirits in the Air poetry reading | Photo: Leslie Dinaberg

Invited poets will read their work, and the work they select by others, themed around libations of all sorts. Everything usually has a somewhat spirited theme, and the poetry is quite entertaining and accessible.

Featured poets include Mary Brown, Christopher Buckley, Rebecca Horrigan (Indy writer), David Starkey (Santa Barbara Poet Laureate III and Indy writer), Emma Trelles (Santa Barbara Poet Laureate IX), and Chryss Yost (Santa Barbara Poet Laureate V), among others, including Yatchisin himself.

“From Bacchus to Berryman, from Li Po to Dorothy Parker, drink and lyric flights have danced a long, sometimes loving, sometimes leery waltz,” said Yatchisin. “This event will attest to the multifaceted ways poets have found inspiration, solace, and, yes, sometimes sickness in the bottle. Especially as the event turns 10, this reading makes clear just how fun poetry can be, and we all look forward to getting to celebrate Poetry Month together, with a delicious drink in hand.”

As to the origins of this lyrical libation feast, Yatchisin once told me, “My hope was to create something a bit different and lively for National Poetry Month. I know poetry can be intimidating to some people, so I hoped that by not only having it at a bar where the audience could tipple, but also by making the very heart of the poems the drinking life, we might be able to find a larger audience for a reading.”

Admission is free, and there will be some special poet- and poetry-themed cocktails available. “We look forward to packing our fantastic partner The Good Lion once again,” said Yatchisin.

See goodlioncocktails.com.