by Sam Pierstorff
Poetry in Modesto: A December to Remember
Modesto is often dismissed as one of the “least literate” cities in America, but anyone who has sat in a room where slam poets step to the mic and crack open the sky like lightning with their words knows how wrong that story is. This community speaks truth to power. This community writes their heart out. This community shows up for the brave act of turning lived experience into spoken word. Poetry doesn’t just entertain; it transforms. It gives people permission to feel, to challenge, to heal, to imagine, and to inspire.
And this December, Modesto is overflowing with chances to experience the power of poetry.
The month kicks off on December 10 with the Modesto Artists Movement’s epic Poetry Night & Haiku Battle at Queen Bean, 7:30-9:30pm—a high-energy, wildly creative evening of open mic poetry and haiku battles that will make you clutch your pearls. $100 awarded to winners! This is community art in its purest form: playful, raw, edgy, and full of life.
On December 12, acclaimed slam poet Joaquín Zihuatanejo comes to us all the way from Texas to lead a free hybrid-erasure workshop, guiding writers through bold, unusual generative practices that help unlock new voices and new ways of thinking.
Then, on December 13, the legendary ILL LIST Poetry Slam storms the State Theatre for its monumental 20th anniversary, bringing back spoken word champions from the past two decades for an electrifying, world-class showdown. This is a momentous and historic slam that will rewrite the way you experience poetry.
Together, these events rewrite the narrative. Modesto isn’t a city lacking literacy. It’s a city overflowing with language, love, and life. Poetry lives here. And this December, it’s going to be louder than ever.
