Category Archives: SF Bay Area

Tiff Dressen was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their latest book is Of Mineral (Nightboat Books, 2022). SONGS FROM THE ASTRAL BESTIARY (lyric& Press, 2014) is their first full-length collection of poetry. They currently live in Oakland and work in the Office of Research at UC Berkeley. They are also the author ofContinue reading “Tiff Dressen”

Marisa Lin (she/they) is a poet, policy researcher, and Minnesota native. Her work is published or forthcoming in Poetry South, Porter House Review, Cimarron Review, and the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-A-Day. Their debut poetry chapbook, Dream Elevator, was published by Kernpunkt Press (2024).

Nellie Wong is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, and in her poetry and through her community activism, she confronts social problems such as racism, sexism, and labor issues. Her collections of poetry include Dreams in Harrison Railroad Park (1977), The Death of Long Steam Lady (1986), Stolen Moments (1997), and Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (2012). WithContinue reading “Nellie Wong”

Lauren Ito is an American Gosei (fifth generation person of Japanese ancestry) UX research leader, poet, and community organizer committed to advancing equity through art and design. As an artist and organizer Lauren delves into the tensions inherited within diasporic experiences, spanning explorations of American concentration camps, political agency, and the genealogy of home. Lauren’sContinue reading “Lauren Ito”

Keana Aguila Labra (they/them/she/her) is a Cebuana Tagalog Filipinx genre- and genderfluid poet, editor, and newsletter writer in diaspora residing on stolen Ohlone Tamyen land. She works to provide a safe literary space for underserved and underrepresented communities as co-Editor-in-Chief of literary magazine, Marías at Sampaguitas and co-Founder of the BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ focused independent publishing house,Continue reading “Keana Aguila Labra”

Jacques J. Rancourt is the author of two poetry collections, Brocken Spectre (Alice James Books) and Novena (Pleiades Press), as well as a chapbook, In the Time of PrEP (Beloit Poetry Journal). Raised in Maine, he lives in San Francisco with his partner and the world’s most anxious dog.

Benjamin Gucciardi was born and raised in San Francisco, California. His first book, West Portal (University of Utah Press, 2021), was selected by Gabrielle Calvocoressi for the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry and was named a finalist for the Northern California Book Award and the Julie Suk Award. He is also the author ofContinue reading “Benjamin Gucciardi”

Randall Mann is the author of Complaint in the Garden (2004), which won the Kenyon Review Prize in Poetry; Breakfast with Thom Gunn (2009), finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry and the California Book Award; Straight Razor (2013), finalist for the Lambda Literary Award; Proprietary (2017) a finalist for the Northern CaliforniaContinue reading “Randall Mann”

Ayodele Nzinga is the founding producing director of the Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc., Oakland’s oldest North American Theater Company. Nzinga is a multi-disciplined creative force; a brilliant actress, producing director, playwright, poet, dramaturg, performance consultant, educator, and community advocate. She is the founder of Lower Bottom Playaz Summer Theater Day Camp, established in 2007, aContinue reading “Ayodele Nzinga”

Tshaka Campbell began writing poetry long before performing it in an attempt to find his own voice and point of view within the art form. As a performer, he is recognized as an accomplished artist internationally and performance accolades include not only being a member of the Nuyorican national poetry slam team and the DaContinue reading “Tshaka Campbell”