Join poets Rayne Alarcio, AJ DiBetta, Leelah Holmes, Colleen Bąk, and spencer jude perez for an evening of contemporary poetry exploring identity, intimacy, memory, digital culture, and coming-of-age in the twenty-first century. Through lyric, narrative, and spoken word traditions, these emerging writers offer work that reflects on relationships, belonging, self-discovery, and the stories we tell about ourselves. The event will feature readings from each poet, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

This event is a $5 suggested donation ticket with a maximum of 30 attendees. Please register in advance.I

ABOUT THE POETS
Rayne Alarcio (they/he) is a Filipino American poet from Los Angeles. They are the author of the chapbook Starving the Wolf (Bottlecap Press), which is housed in the Poets House Permanent Collection. Their work appears or is forthcoming in Chicago Quarterly Review, Cimarron Review, failbetter, and elsewhere. They have served as a National Writing Juror for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Learn more at open_in_newwww.raynealarcio.com.

AJ DiBetta is a trans and queer multi-disciplinary creative and graphic designer. They have their BA in Psychology with a minor in Community Engagement. They are a graduate of Shillington School of Graphic Design.

Leelah Holmes (he/they) lives and writes in Brooklyn, generally getting up to no good. You can find his poems in new words {press}, Chariot Press, The Dewdrop, Beyond Words, Touchstone and elsewhere.

Colleen Bąk is a neurodivergent poet and mom of three, who loves exploring the mysteries and magic of family stories, poetry and Houdini. She spent twenty years living in NYC; where after attending NYU for six years, she began attending births, throughout the city’s boroughs (as a doula and a midwife’s assistant) and tending to Houdini’s grave, as one does when they have loved him since childhood. Colleen’s poetry can be found in various anthologies and her previous chapbook breadcrumbs (2022, Bottlecap Press.)

spencer jude perez is an astrologer & poet from The Bronx. spencer jude has served as the president and literary editor on the student-run magazine Cabbages & Kings and has been published in No, Dear.