Inside Out Loud
Poetry Reading March 14, 2025
Santa Cruz Poetry Project, in conjunction with Satori Arts, is thrilled to present an evening of poetry written by present and past participants in our "Power in Poetry" classes. Poetry from all the facilities will be read aloud by our volunteers, and will also include some work from our past anthologies. The featured poet of the evening will be Justin D. Marc, who began writing poetry as a participant at the Rehabilitation and Re-Entry Facility in 2020 and has continued his practice after his release. He also teaches poetry at Santa Cruz Residential Recovery. There will be other guest readers. The evening will be emceed by Nancy Gomez Miller, co-founder and former director of SC Poetry Project, who was just named Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate. Admission is free, and all are welcome! Satori Arts is located at 815 Almar Avenue, Unit 9, Santa Cruz.
Poetry Jams in the Jails!
One of the many advantages to being able to teach in-person classes in the facilities is being able to hold Poetry Jams! This is an opportunity for the students to "perform" for each other, for others in their units, and for the SC Poetry Project Volunteers. The program director and program coordinators usually attend, as well as other guests. It's also an opportunity for other residents to see how much fun poetry can be!
We generally do these Jams in conjunction with the publishing of a new anthology. We held three jams in September 2023, and also in November of 2024 to celebrate the publication of Volume 15.
Santa Cruz Poetry Project
Santa Cruz Public Library
Downtown Branch
Life Literacies Center
EVERY MONDAY
4-5:30PM
The Santa Cruz Poetry Project facilitates poetry and writing workshops throughout Santa Cruz County with the mission to bring poetry to underserved populations. We do this through our Poetry in the Jails project, which offers poetry workshops to incarcerated men and women. We are pleased to once again bring workshops to the downtown library, in partnership with the Life Literacies Center. Anyone who would like to establish a writing practice in a safe and encouraging environment is welcome.
All library programs are free.
Class Schedule 2024
We have resumed our partnership with the Santa Cruz Public Library's Life Literacy Center (see above).
There are two men's classes in Watsonville: Unit R Rountree, and R&R (Rehabilitation & Reentry).
We are teaching two classes at the Main Jail facility in Downtown Santa Cruz: one for men, and one for women.
We teach a weekly class at Blaine Street Women's Facility.
We have very much appreciated the dedication of the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office in keeping the programs going, with some (and sometimes many) logistical challenges, throughout the COVID pandemic and as we move forward.
For the Seventh Generation
An Oceans Festival in Lincoln City OR
In early 2021, were asked to submit our students' work for an oceans festival taking place in Lincoln City, OR. We set them the challenge to write about specific beaches that meant a lot to them. Four poets were chosen, Justin Marc, R. Walsh, Chad Bachman, and Bennett Healy. We are so proud of their efforts and creativity!
The reading took place on July 22, 2021. We will post a link to a video of the reading. Click on the photo above for a link to the event Web site.
Bellydance Basics
Bargetto Winery
Comicopolis
La Posta
Elizabeth Good
Max Gavrich
Laurie Guerin
Gail Newman
Many Hands Gallery
Tauna Coulson
Shakespeare Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Warriors
Briya Leung
Noelle Weatherwax
Concrete Rose Hair Salon
Megan Welch
Dion O’Reilly
Aldo’s Bakery
Faust Hair Salon
Sydney
Scott Thornburg
Sebastian DeEldon
Emily Keinholz
Buttercup Bakery
The Food Lounge
Andrea Mollenauer
Lampwork Glass
Jackie Marr
Cindy Mori
Kate Nolan
Logan Austeja Daniel
Lindsay Spencer
Jory Post
phren-Z
Kate Tripp
Robert Sward
Kiss My Glass
Luma Yoga
John Orlando Distinguished
Artist Series
Benefit for Poetry in the Jails 2019
Our July 2019 event was a success! Thank you to everyone who donated their time and talents to organizing and carrying out the event, and who donated items to our silent auction.
Gary Young
Tess Taylor
Danusha Lameris
Amanda Moore
Renee Winter
Deb Culmer
Erik Anderson
Jaime Zuder
Journey Employer Solutions
Tina Cervin
Ken Haas
The Becker Foundation
Barbara Leon
Cindy White
Idea Fabrication Lab
Ellen Bass
Nancy Miller Gomez
1440 Multiversity
Janet Bryer
Sally Neas
Max Bryer-Bass
Joel Gomez
Laurie Brooks
The William James Association
The Santa Cruz Arts Council
Alfaro Winery
Missy Schnapps
Salon on the Square
Jewel Theater
Jim Potterton
David Van Brink
Soif
Kim Beecher
Tri-Yoga Center Santa Cruz
Powell Peralta
SkullCandy
Ruth Smith
SeSe Geddes
Ashlie Sadri