Poetry Connection: How to Organize a Poetry Reading in 10 Pretty Easy Steps

Since my husband and I moved to Santa Barbara three years ago, I’ve been invited to participate in a bunch of poetry readings, including the recent Poetry in the Parks event at the Presidio. It’s fantastic being an invited poet. All you have to do is pick your poems, choose a nice outfit, and show up at the venue — like being a guest at a sure-to-be-festive word party.

Believe it or not, even though I’ve been writing and performing for years, I’d never organized an actual poetry event myself.

This changed last fall, when I was approached by my longtime friend from L.A., poetry performer Rich Ferguson, about doing an event with him and his wife, Kathleen Florence. Both had new poetry books out — Rich’s Somewhere, a Playground and Kathleen’s Prayers with a Side of Cash — and they wanted to come to Santa Barbara to share their work.

It looked like it was finally time for me to host a poetry event.

I did a deep inhale/exhale and took the following 10 steps, which I’m sharing with you, in case you are ever in a poetry-event-organizing situation.

1. Ask for advice. Don’t pretend to know what you’re doing when you don’t. My first step was to phone a poetry expert: Melinda Palacio, Poet Laureate number 10 of Santa Barbara. Melinda has been doing events for years, and she told me right away to think first about the venue. Where did I want to have this event? My immediate response was Chaucer’s Books. I’ve been to various readings at Chaucer’s; they are always well attended, and people always buy books. It’s a beautiful, friendly bookstore with easy parking, and you can even take the bus there. Ok. That’s the choice.
2. Figure out who’s participating, and who’s emceeing. I thought this was a great opportunity to invite Melinda to read along with Kathleen and Rich, since she is a local, very prominent poet who has many friends and fans. Then I thought that since I was the contact person for the proposal, I might as well emcee it. As a former professor, I’m comfortable in the role of timekeeper/introducer. I also decided that I would like to participate, but that I would just read a couple of short poems. I’d seen other emcees do a very short set at other poetry events. Finally, I liked the idea of having two local poets and two poets from out of town, both of whom had new books. It seemed like a good balance.
3. Develop and submit a proposal. Yikes. This felt like a tall order. I think that coming up with these kinds of overarching themes is hard, so I asked my team of brilliant poets for help.
4. Get group input. Kathleen and Rich already had a throughline in mind for the reading; they wanted to use poetry to promote more love of the written word, more love of poetry, and more love in the world period. Melinda agreed. Great idea. Kathleen had already written a description of the love theme, so I used her wording and some of my own to develop our proposal.
5. Submit a proposal to Chaucer’s using their Google Docs, and back up all your documents. I personally hate Google Docs, because I’m always afraid that whatever I write is going to get lost in the internet ether, so I made a copy of the entire proposal in case it went astray.
6. Follow up with the venue and be patient. Bookstores receive many event requests and proposals and cannot always reply immediately because they’re busy selling books. Holidays are happening, and staff members go on vacation and on leave. If you don’t hear right away, wait for a bit and reach out again. Continue reaching out — politely — until you receive an answer. Be flexible with scheduling, and be prepared for your reading to happen 3-6 months (or more) after your original inquiry.
7. Confirm the date and time with your crew.
8. Publicize your event! Be sure to do your part by promoting your poetry event on your social media platforms, and encourage your group members to do the same. I was very lucky — Melinda, Rich, and Kathleen are all experienced social media mavens. I’m not too bad either, and I learned from Rachel Sarah Thurston that a great way to publicize an event is to create a Facebook event invitation and invite your circle. I did that. Chaucer’s did a great job letting people know about the reading. And so did the Independent!
9. Organize the order in which your poets will read/perform in advance. As the emcee, I decided to read my short set first, then cede time to Melinda, Kathleen, and Rich. Rich is a powerhouse performer (If you haven’t seen him yet, you are in for a treat), and so I saved him for last.
10. Arrive early at your event venue to troubleshoot any issues. To my surprise and delight, Chaucer’s had set up chairs in the CYA section of the bookstore, so we were in a great space, and listeners could sit or stand and spread out.
11. Thank the bookstore in your opening remarks. The bookstore, or whatever venue is hosting your event, is generally doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They do not have to support poetry, so be sure to sincerely express gratitude.
12. Take a deep breath and HAVE FUN! This is awesome. Your talented friends are going to read their work. Friends and strangers are here, excited to listen. You did it. Remember that you did it once — which means you can (probably) do it again!

This week’s Poetry Connection poems are excerpts by Kathleen Florence and Rich Ferguson performed at Chaucer’s.

From “Artists I know” by Kathleen Florence. In Prayers with a Side of Cash (Moon Tide Press)
Artists I Know

live in old buildings, uncommon spaces,
have slept in strange places, 

on friends’ couches, long after a certain age.
They make friends with pigeons, carry 

around work with them in bags, spending 
time in coffee shops, where there is heat.

Artists I know wear tight shoes 
for their own opening,

when they are young and full of potential.
Friends at the cheese table grinning,  

this is really living the dream.
Artists I know have picked groceries 

from dumpsters, swiped paper from posters, 
exchanging collage with a friend.

Jealous and ambitious, working morning hours,
waking before the sun.

They preach on city corners, run 
madly in midnight hours, tell you stories 

that will make your heart burst.
Artists I know drum songs with chopsticks,

improvise in kitchens, on subways, in parks.
Those who have grown old know fool’s gold, 

making a life that has no hero, unless bird 
in tree be hero, making mentor of a rising sun.

From “Live and Die in LA” by Rich Ferguson. In Somewhere, a Playground (Moon Tide Press)

My DNA luxuriates in cryofacial thermal shock float tank bliss
imprinted with Moon Juice Super You. The tragedy and tears
of the Cecil Hotel, the bebop rapture of Louis Armstrong
at the Cotton Club, and the moment of genius when Mingus
decided to drop the cello and take up the bass.

I’m wildfires and Richard Pryor freebasing. Ketamine therapy
and colorful sneakers. Malibu beaches and Melrose boutiques.
Retro glamour meets modern edge. Fusion cuisine
and Lincoln Heights Latino history.

I’m the Runyon Buddha, Angels Flight,
and Biddy Mason’s free papers.
Little Persia to Panorama City, Baldwin Hills to Boyle Heights.
At Florence and Normandie, I gather bruises, cinderblocks,
and beer bottles, transform them into sustainable jewelry
of healing gestures.

Built by this city / blood and breath of the city / live and die in L.A.

Upcoming Poetry Events

Friday, June 5

Speaker Series at Clementine Carter Wines, The Gunpowder Press Anthology, A Feast for Santa Barbara: Poets Celebrating Food and Wine will present seven of the poets, including editor George Yatchisin, at Clementine Carter Wines in Los Alamos, 5:30 -7 p.m., 388 Bell Street, Los Alamos.

Sunday, June 7

Vita Art Center, Scott Charles and Paul Willis, 28 W Main Street, Ventura, CA, host Phil Taggart, poetry first Sunday starts at 3 p.m.

Tuesday, June 9

Lowstate Writing Salon, Writing community with a big focus on play &  sparking something weird, 7 p.m. at the Blue Owl, 5 W Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara. 

Thursday, June 11

 Pride on the Page: Queer Lit & Poetry Night, at Seven Bar, features include Michelle Petty, Solange Aguilar, MT Vallarta, Trish Fancher, Sunny Malhotra, Makenna Arase, and music by Nicole Sophia, Mister Sister on the mic as MC, suggested donation of $5-20 to pay performers. 6-9 pm.

Sunday, June 21

The Poetry Club, Goleta Valley Library, Goleta Community Center, 5679 Hollister Ave, Goleta, 2-3:30 p.m.

Sunday-Friday, June 21-26

The Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Poetry workshops and speakers and more, six days of literary offerings at the Mar Monte Hotel. For the full schedule, consult the website: https://www.sbwriters.com/schedule

Sunday, June 21

Poetry Panel, a discussion of the state of poetry with seven Santa Barbara Poets Laureate at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. 4-5 p.m.

Sunday June 21

“Poetry Chat” with Laure-Anne Bosselaar at DOMECIL Store on State Street, 4-5 p.m.