The Studio Series Poetry Reading & Open Mic

The Studio Series Poetry Reading & Open Mic

Featuring Maggie Chula and Dianne Stepp

 Born in Massachusetts, Maggie Chula has traveled around the world, lived in Europe and Japan, and now makes her home on the Portland skyline. She has published fourteen collections of poetry including, most recently, Firefly Lanterns: Twelve Years in Kyoto, a poetic memoir written in haibun form. In 2022, Firefly Lanterns was awarded a NYC Big Book Award in Multicultural Nonfiction. Maggie has been a featured speaker and workshop leader at haiku conferences throughout the United States, as well as in Poland, Canada, Peru, and Japan. She has also served as president of the Tanka Society of America, Poet Laureate for Friends of Chamber Music, and is currently on the Advisory Board for the Center for Japanese Studies at Portland State University.

Dianne Stepp A retired therapist, Dianne lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and fellow poet, Mike.  Her poems have appeared in Comstock Review, The Oregonian, Tar River Poetry, Naugatuck River Review, Cider Press Review, Sugar House Review as well as other journals and anthologies.  She has published three chapbooks: “Half-Moon of Clay,” “Sweet Mercies,” and “The Nest’s Dark Eye.”  Dianne is also a gardener, especially proud of her annual garlic crop, and is a member of three poetry groups—The Odds, Pearls and Poets of the North, a group that meets over Zoom with friends from Seattle and Vancouver, BC.

The Open Mic is open to all audience members. Participants can sign up before the start of the reading or during the break. In the interest of time, Open Mic readers are asked to limit their readings to three minutes.

Did you know you can view clips of featured poets reading on our Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/groups/1281329966139780/

The Ross Island Grocery and Café is a cozy space with capacity for 40 or so people. Tables are available, so people who arrive early can enjoy a light supper (i.e., a sandwich, salad or burger) while waiting for the reading to begin. If we run out of table space, folding chairs are available. A mic will enhance the readings. There is plenty of unrestricted parking on the streets around the Café.

Questions? Please contact host Leah Stenson at [email protected].