Readings at Burning Books & Just Buffalo Literary Center, plus Poetically Speaking, a film screening and panel discussion at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

Wednesday, April 8, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Self-Publishing Panel at Art’s Café.

A discussion on self-publishing vs vanity publishing, how to market without a publishing team, and options on printing and distribution, among other topics unique to the self-publishing journey. This panel will feature local, successful authors who have all self-published: Christina Abt, PA Kane, Jeffrey J Miller, Tim Bohen, Rosanne Higgins.

5 East Main Street, Springville, New York 14141. Free and open to the public.

Thursday April 9, 7 p.m.: Book talk and discussion with Dr. Wendy Johnson, author of the new book Kinship Medicine (Penguin Books).

Dr. Wendy Johnson is a family physician, writer and activist. Her new book, Kinship Medicine is aimed at raising awareness of the deep connection between our well being and the health of the natural world. She will be joined in conversation by Elizabeth Mazzolini, Associate Professor of English at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. She is the author and editor of books and essays in the Environmental Humanities. She is currently at work on a book, American Toxic, about how the idea of toxicity has become embedded in American popular discourse.

Meet the author, get your copy signed, and enjoy an evening filled with stories, inspiration, and connection. Free and open to the public. Burning Books, 420 Connecticut St., Buffalo.

Thursday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.: University at Buffalo Poetics Plus Series reading featuring Rainer Diana Hamilton and Bianca Rae Messinger.

Rainer Diana Hamilton is the author of four books: Lilacs (2025) , God Was Right (2018), The Awful Truth (2017), and Okay, Okay (2012). They were born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and they live in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with a large cat named both Monster and Emile.

Author of pleasureis amiracle (2025), Bianca Rae Messinger is a poet living in Buffalo, NY, where she also works as an interpreter and instructor. She has published many translation, is co-editor of What Happens, a journal of poets theater, and was a guest editor of the Poetry Project Newsletter, 2022-2024.

Location: Just Buffalo Literary Center, 468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Buffalo, NY 14203. Free and open to the public.

Friday, April 10, 5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.: The Burchfield-Penny Art Center presents Poetically Speaking, a mini poetic visual series produced and directed by Buffalo Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke (founder of Get Fokus’d Productions), will host a special screening event on Friday, April 10, 2026, as a part of M&T’s Second Friday.

The collaborative series features cinematography by Alex Rojé Felix (Earthbound Films) and Luqman Muhammad (22Reform), with photography by Kalvin Booker (Through His Lens Photography). This exclusive event brings Buffalo’s vibrant literary scene to the big screen, featuring a collection of visual poetry pieces and interviews with local writers who are shaping the city’s creative landscape. Audiences will experience the artistry of Buffalo’s poets through moving visuals, intimate storytelling, and reflections on heritage, identity, and community.

Following the screening, Aitina Fareed-Cooke will moderate a panel discussion with a selection of featured poets, offering deeper insight into their creative journeys and the inspiration behind Poetically Speaking. The conversation will explore how poetry, visual media, and community engagement intersect to amplify Buffalo’s past and present voices. Poetically Speaking shines a spotlight on Buffalo’s evolving literary legacy with the aim to honor tradition while inspiring new generations to express, connect, and create.

About the Artist:

Aitina Fareed-Cooke is the founder of Get Fokus’d Productions (GFP), an award-winning international recording artist (A.I. The Anomaly), speaker, and creative educator who serves as the Mayor-appointed Poet Laureate of Buffalo, NY. As a Creative Arts Strategist, she blends artistry and strategy to help communities and organizations use storytelling to shift narratives, challenge stereotypes, and build resilience.

Under her leadership, GFP has grown into a Buffalo-rooted digital storytelling and literary arts firm supporting early-career creatives through mentorship, real-world training, and collaboration, while partnering with mission-driven organizations to create authentic, human-first work across writing, filmmaking, photography, and digital media.

With 20+ years of experience, Aitina has impacted 20,000+ emerging creatives, raised over half a million dollars for community arts programs, and contributed as a songwriter to a Grammy-winning album. Having grown up in foster care, she found freedom through creative arts engagement and now helps others do the same.

Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Sunday, April 12, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Robert Creeley Reading Group in conjunction with Onward! Robert Creeley Centennial Celebration.

Join us at Fitz Books on Sunday, April 12 and Sunday, May 3 for a special reading group dedicated to the poetry of Robert Creeley.As we mark 100 years since Creeley’s birth, we gather to engage directly with Creeley poems. This session will focus on a curated packet of poetry, providing space for collective reading and discussion.

Participation is free, but space is limited. Please register to receive your poetry packet in advance. This event is a featured part of Onward!, a centennial celebration honoring one of the most vital voices in American poetry and a cornerstone of Buffalo’s literary history. These Reading Group events are organized by the UB Poetics Program, as part of the official Onward! Robert Creeley Centennial Celebration.

Fitz Books and Waffles, 1462 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209.