In honor of April as National Poetry Month, Redwood Writers will be hosting poets at their monthly Open Mic session. This will take place on Saturday, April 22nd from 1 to 3 p.m. The location is Gaia’s Garden cafe at 1899 N. Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. All poets, whether or not they are Redwood Writers members, are encouraged to come share to their poetry for up to five minutes. Of course, people may enjoy the session even if they come just to listen.

We hope you will join us for this enlightening afternoon at our literary Open Mic. While you are there, please enjoy a purchase from Gaia’s vegetarian buffet for your lunch, or a snack and tea. We appreciate Gaia’s hosting us for the Open Mics. And please, bring a friend!

For the April 22 Open Mic we will host two Featured Poets. They are Abby Bogomolny and Deborah Taylor-French. Their bios are included below:

Abby Bogomolny

Deborah Taylor-French

Abby Bogomolny:

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Abby Lynn Bogomolny, is the author of the poetry collection People Who Do Not Exist and the editor of the anthology New to North America: Writing by U.S. Immigrants, Their Children and Grandchildren. Know for teaching rockin’ creative writing, composition and lit classes, she teaches English full-time at Santa Rosa Junior College and lives in Northern California.

Deborah Taylor-French:

About ten years ago I visited the Sonoma County Book Fair and spoke to a man at the Redwood Writers table. He asked, “Where do you write?” I said, “Been writing in my closet and I’m trying to get out.” Soon afterward, I joined the RW club and came out of the closet as a writer.

Poetry is the medieval tower I climb–without a plan. Decades of poetry writing does not dim the sense of wonder when a poem comes, grows, etc. For me, poets are immortals, I never call myself a poet. When writing a poem, I’m a person who writes, which is a complex mystifying trip.

My day job is writing mystery, myth and nonfiction. I blog to save dogs’ live and dog lovers’ sanity at Dog Leader Mysteries (.com). For five years I have facilitated the Redwood Writers’ Author Support. I’m also a columnist for  Sonoma County Gazette, where you will find my monthly column, Cotati Heart & Soul..