Upcoming
reading to the Joshua Trees
October 9, 2020 – 3:30pm – Philosophy Colloquium at Lewis & Clark College.
The Role of Poetry in Daoist Philosophy
Abstract: Poetry’s importance to the Daoist tradition goes beyond presenting philosophical content in verse. Authors of the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi make their claims about philosophy of language, not with proofs, but through demonstrations of open-endedness and invitations to consider what meanings are at stake. I examine the Daoists’ use of poetic techniques such as metaphorical language, rhetorical shifts, and allusion to show that the features of poetry which cause many Western philosophers (beginning with Plato) concern are the very features that Daoist authors depend upon. Through further close reading of other philosophical poems, including examples from British and contemporary American poets, I argue that poetry avails itself of a broader range of resources to engage in philosophical exploration.
Past Events
2019
October 11 – American Society for Aesthetics annual conference – Phoenix, AZ. I presented a paper, “The Role of Poetry in Daoist Texts,” which won an award for Outstanding Student Paper.
June 2019 – I gave a poetry reading at the Caribbean Philosophical Association‘s annual conference, at Brown University. More info here.
2016
reading at AWP in Los Angeles, 2016
Sept 21, 6-7pm, reading at Sac State of Poetry
Sacramento State University
Sacramento, CA
April 23, 4:50pm-5:35pm, reading at Write of Way Literary Festival
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, CA
April 2, 6pm-10pm, reading with Fourteen Hills and Red Light Lit at Lilith’s Corner
672 S. La Fayette Park Pl.
Los Angeles
Also, book signing at the 2016 AWP: Bookfair
Reading with Jane Gregory, Sacramento Poetry Center
March 28, 7:30pm, reading with Jane Gregory at the Sacramento Poetry Center
1719 25th St.
Sacramento, CA
March 20, 6:30-7:30pm, reading with Liz Tucker at Literary Arts & Wine
10120 Jibboom St Suite #101
Truckee, CA
January 21, 8pm, reading with Karen Terrey at the Poetry Night Reading Series
John Natsoulas Gallery
521 First Street, Davis CA
Facebook event photos
Poetrio, Malaprop’s – Asheville, NC
January 3, 2016, 3pm, reading with Eric Nelson and Dee Stribling at Poetrio at Malaprop’s Bookstore
55 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC
2015
December 19, 7pm, reading and book signing with Arthur McMaster and Nancy Dew Taylor at Joe’s Place
640 S. Main St.
Greenville, SC
Facebook event page
Reading with Natasha Dennerstein in the Poetry Center, SFSU
November 9, 5:00pm, VelRo (Velvet Revolution) reading and book signing with Natasha Dennerstein from her new book, Anatomize.
Poetry Center (Humanities 512)
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
Facebook event page
Event video
November 5, 7:00pm, BOOK RELEASE: WHAT COMES FROM A THING, reading and book signing at Green Apple Books on the Park
1231 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA
Facebook event page
October 17, 6:00-7:00pm, Lit Crawl, Fourteen Hills and Eleven Eleven reading at FLAX
San Francisco, CA
Event photos
July 7, Universidad de Sevilla. Congreso Internacional de Literatura, Lengua y Traducción “liLETRAd”
Seville, Spain
Facebook event page
March 21, “A radical doubt: a poetry reading.” North American Anarchist Studies Network Conference, California Institute of Integral Studies
San Francisco, CA
2014
September 26-28, Black Mountain College ReVIEWING conference
Asheville, NC
September 6, Eco-Poetry reading at Visions of the Wild
JFK Library
Vallejo, CA
May 21, Fourteen Hills Issue 20.2 Release Reading
Firehouse 8
San Francisco, CA
April 22, Woodland Community College Poetry Celebration
Woodland, CA
March 14, Robert Browning Society.
The Sequoias
San Francisco, CA
March 8, Gird your ‘Loin – A Bay Area MFA literary reading at Celtic Cafe.
142 McAllister St
San Francisco, CA (event photos)
March 7, with Andrew Joron, Ryan Nash, Gray Tolhurst, and Ricky Lee Bauman.
The Convent. 660 Oak St.
San Francisco, CA
2013
Squaw Valley 2012 reunion Lit Crawl
October 19, Betabrand, 780 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA – Squaw Valley’s Lit Quake / Lit Crawl reading from the 2012 Squaw Valley Review with Kazim Ali, Blas Falconer, Dawn McGuire, Elizabeth McLagan, and Mary Winegarden.
June 20, Poetry in Davis, Natsoulas Gallery (Davis, CA) – Squaw Valley Review 2012 poetry reading with Paco Marquez and Stella Beratlis.
June 17, Sacramento Poetry Center – Squaw Valley Review 2012 poetry reading with Heather Altfeld, Troy Jollimore, Paco Marquez, and Stella Beratlis.
April 16. Spokin’ Bike Reading, Avid Reader bookstore (Davis, CA). Poetry and prose reading as part of the conference Change in Bicicultures: Understanding Cultural Shifts in People, Bicycles, and Places.
April 10. Tireside Chat, US Bicycling Hall of Fame (Davis, CA). An evening reading from The Outspokin’ Cyclist and recent poetry.
January 30. “Female Execution (video),” HuffPost Live – a discussion of gender bias and the death penalty.
2009
October. “Crossing the Line: Biomedical Technology in Sports,” Raleigh Science Café, Raleigh, NC.
June. “Collaboration for Digital Preservation,” Special Libraries Association, Washington, D.C.
June. “WordCamp 101: WordPress for Beginners,” WordCampRDU, Durham, NC.
March. “Durham’s History Through Transportation and Film,” Duke University, Durham, NC.
2008
Period Tables event, hosted by Museum of Life and Science
December. “Human Enhancement Beyond Our Natural Abilities,” Periodic Tables, Science Café. Museum of Life and Science, Durham, NC.
Visual Installations
August & September 2013. Two photographs in The Bicycle: Art meets Form. Theatre Art Galleries. High Point, NC. — review
June 2009. echoSoundings. Documentary screening. Special Libraries Association conference. Washington, DC.
September & October 2008. Vital Integrity, Video Cartography. Film screening. Triangle Cartography Convergence, Durham, NC. Work supported by the Linda Ironside Fund Award, Triangle Community Foundation.
September 19, 2008. Vital Integrity, Video Cartography. Film screening. Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. Duke University, Durham, NC.
March 2008. Bull City Bicycles. Guest curator, photography exhibit and film screening. Bull City Arts Collaborative, Durham, NC.
May & June 2006. Bicicletas en blanco y negro. Photographs on exhibit. Untitled image selected as the show’s postcard piece. Altered Esthetics, Bike Art, Minneapolis, MN. — review