by Sam Pierstorff
Writing is powerful. Writing is political. Writing is personal. Writing can change a life. Writing can change a community. Writing is connection, and poets and writers in Modesto are able to connect at deep and powerful levels thanks to so many literary offerings in town. The Modesto Artists Movement believes in the power of the written word and the stories, music, and movies they inspire.
Everything starts with a story, and we are writing ours every day. Writing doesn’t just transform an individual. Writing transforms a community. Imagine how different life becomes when you know someone else’s story. Empathy would rise. Understanding would increase. Love would abound. Good writing requires authenticity and vulnerability, and some of the best local writers can be found performing this month at Queen Bean Coffee & Social House.
If your goal is to write and connect with a great community of writers, then don’t miss Write Night this month: Wednesday, May 13, 6-9pm. This is a free community creative writing class where attendees get to write, reflect, share, and connect.
This month, thanks to the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, we will get to hear from the next generation of poets on Wednesday, May 20, 5:30pm when the Stanislaus County’s Youth Poet Laureate brings an anthology of high school poetry to the Queen Bean for a reading and reception.
Then May culminates with the return of Poetry Slam (on Rye) on Wednesday, May 27, 7:30-9:30pm where a dozen poets compete for $250 in prizes. The audience gets to judge and poets have 3 minutes to read one original work! It’s not just a poetry reading. It’s a poetry party.
Don’t miss these opportunities to hear from an incredible community of writers. We promise you will be inspired.
