Blue Whale Poetry Reading
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Wed, Jul 08 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Address (map)
227 E.Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Venue
Unity of Santa Barbara
The next Blue Whale Reading will feature Los Angeles-based poets Kathleen Florence and Rich Ferguson on Wednesday, July 8 at 5:30 pm at Unity of Santa Barbara Chapel, 227 E. Arrellaga St., Santa Barbara. There will be a limited open mic after the featured readers.
Kathleen Florence is a Los Angeles–based poet and artist whose work spans screen, stage, and page. She is author of the poetry collection Prayers With a Side of Cash (Moon Tide Press), the award-winning play Who Killed the Curator and is co-director of Poet Film Stage. Her work has been published in multiple journals and anthologies, including L.A.’s Cultural Daily, Paris Lit Up, NYC’s Arteidolia and Maintenant issues 10 – 20 (Three Rooms Press). Her writing has been supported by Ontario and Canada Arts Council grants and a Valparaiso artist residency in Spain. Florence’s performance and presentation history includes the Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur, the Culver City Book Festival at the Wende Museum, and the Pasadena Lit Fest. She has also performed at NYC’s Poets House, Ottawa’s Versefest and Montreal’s Words & Music. Her short films have screened at festivals in Los Angeles, Toronto and Quebec City.
L.A. poet and spoken-word performer Rich Ferguson has shared the stage with Patti Smith, Wanda Coleman, Moby, and other acclaimed poets and musicians. He is a featured performer in the film What About Me? featuring Michael Stipe, k.d. lang, and others. His poetry and award-winning spoken-word music videos have appeared in numerous anthologies and festivals, continuing to bridge page, stage, and screen with a kinetic, emotionally charged presence. He is the co-director of Poet Film Stage and author of four books including the novel New Jersey Me (Rare Bird Books) and three poetry collections: 8th & Agony (Punk Hostage Press), Everything is Radiant Between the Hates, and Somewhere, A Playground (Moon Tide Press). Rich is the lead editor of the California poetry anthology Beat Not Beat (Moon Tide Press) and was selected by the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. (NBPF) to serve as U.S. Beat Poet Laureate (Sept. 2023–Sept. 2024) and California Beat Poet Laureate (Sept. 2020–Sept. 2022).
The Blue Whale Reading Series is hosted by Christine Kravetz and Christopher Buckley. A donation of $5 is requested to help pay for the venue rental.
