The Studio Series Poetry Reading & Open Mic

David Wagstaff is a writer. His work in film, theater and music stem
from this calling. He has directed some thirty plays, many of which he
authored. He has written and directed four independent films, recorded
nine albums of his songs and authored numerous works of fiction. His
current projects include Invisible Cities, an eight episode series, the first
episode of which is complete with Cosmic Tomato Studios. A book of his
short stories, Pollen, will be published this year by Quiet Lion Press.
Last, but not least, he is a performing poet who enacts his poems
accompanying himself on harmonica. He is a graduate of California
Institute of the Arts.
Daniel Velasquez is a composer, a teacher, an accomplished classical
guitarist, and a bassist who focuses on Latin and orchestral styles. In
his youth, he traveled extensively as a professional musician, playing in
rock, jazz, and Latin ensembles both here and abroad. In addition, he
has served as first chair bassist in symphony orchestras for over twenty
years. His compositions are an eclectic mix drawing from this wide
range of musical experience.
Toshiko Nomioka is often called the Martha Graham of Japan. Her
movement has, for nearly half a century, embodied the ineffable realm
of one whose originality is not a deliberate act, but an inescapable and
indelible part of her being. Her cultural roots, her samurai heritage, her
practice of Nichiren’s Buddhism—these can be gleaned in her work, but
they do not define it. Her performances and choreography border on the
shamanic. She is, at once, singular, universal and enduring