Monday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: Talking Leaves Books and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center present a Poetry Talk by Isaac Jarnot. Jarnot will be speaking about his latest book, Four Lectures, part of the Bagley Wright Lecture Series and published by Wave Books.

Four Lectures is the seventh book in the Bagley Wright Lecture Series, comprising autobiographical essays that form an intimate, uncompromising, and generous glimpse into a remarkable life in poetry. Across the lectures, or talks, given between October of 2020 and December of 2021, Jarnot examines what it means to be a woman in a male-centered experimental tradition, to have white privilege, and to write poetry. With colloquial ease and wit, Jarnot investigates the generative tensions at the intersections of traditional and experimental forms, develops relationships between ‘deep gossip’ and ecstatic connectedness, and considers the prophetic tradition in American poetry as inflected through counter-cultural spirituality. Ultimately, Jarnot presents poetry as a calling, asking us to consider the means by which poets can envision a new heaven and a new earth.

Isaac Jarnot (formerly Lisa Jarnot) was born in Buffalo, NY and educated at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Some Other Kind of Mission (1996), Ring of Fire (2001), Black Dog Songs (2003), Night Scenes (2008), Joie De Vivre: Selected Poems 1992-2012 (2013) and A Princess Magic Presto Spell (2019). He co-edited An Anthology of New (American) Poets (1997), and his biography of San Francisco poet Robert Duncan, The Ambassador from Venus, was published by the University of California Press in 2012. He has been a visiting professor at Naropa University, Brooklyn College, and the University of Colorado, Boulder. He lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, holds a Masters of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary, is a PhD student in theology at Drew University, and is a minister at Safe Haven United Church of Christ.
This event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase courtesy of Talking Leaves Books. Hallwalls Cinema, 341 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo.

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Tuesday Night Open Mic Series at the Em Tea Coffeecup Café. All are welcome whether be you new to poetry or a long-time member of the community. 80 Oakgrove Ave., Buffalo, NY. Free and open to the public.

Friday, Sept. 27,5:30 p.m.: Ground and Sky Open Mic Reading Series at Healing Grounds, 220 Grant Street in Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Friday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m.: Fourth Friday Reading Series at Dog Ears Books. This month’s featured reader is poet and playwright Mark Lloyd. Additional reading slots available. Dog Ears Bookstore and Cafe, 688 Abbott Road, 2nd floor, in Buffalo. Admission to the event is $5. Proceeds benefit the Dog Ears Bookstore, a 501 c (3) not-for-profit organization.

Saturday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: First Annual Indie Lit Expo presented by Band of Bards. The Buffalo Idie Lit Expo (BILE) is an event filled with local and regional authors, artists, and creators. Presented by Buffalo-based Independent Publisher Band of Bards, it’s an event where creators can sell and promote their original works, and make new connections with the community.The event is free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages. The location is 683 Northland Ave, Buffalo, NY 14211-1057. More info about the event, how to volunteer or become a vendor is at: https://bandofbards.com/bile/

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Just Buffalo Writing Center will be holding an Open House & Reading Celebration for its programs and publications (including the annual anthology Wordplay) featuring readings by young writers participating in the programs. The event is free and open to the public. Just Buffalo Literary Center, 468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor in Buffalo.