Paul Aponte and Erin Rodoni

On the 7/5/23 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

We’re joined by the two poets being featured at this upcoming Poetry Night! Paul Aponte discusses his process in deciding to publish his first book of poetry, the themes of appreciation, passion, and love that are present in his poetry, and his influences. He then shares a few of his wonderful poems in English and Spanish and the unfolding of his unique writing process that honors the spontaneity of a poetic moment. Erin Rodoni shares her initial reaction to receiving the Southern Indiana Review Michael Waters Poetry Prize and the impact of the lockdown on her poetic processes. She then shares a poem that emphasizes her careful attention to climate change, the intertwining nature of her poetry and personal life, and her selection process when writing a thematic series. This episode concludes with a poetry reading by Julia Levine, the current Poet Laureate of Davis and poet Traci Gourdine in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.

Paul Aponte is a Chicano Poet from Sacramento. He is a member of the writers group Escritores Del Nuevo Sol, and also a board member of Círculo De Poetas & Writers.  He has been published in several anthologies, in Sacramento Poetry Center's "Poetry Now", and has a new book out called DEL CACTUS available through Prickly Pear Press and Amazon.com.

Erin Rodoni is the author of Body, in Good Light (Sixteen Rivers Press, 2017) and A Landscape for Loss (NFSPS Press, 2017), which was selected by Tony Barnstone as the winner of the 2016 Stevens Award sponsored by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Her third collection, And if the Woods Carry You (Southern Indiana Review Press, 2021), won the 2020 Southern Indiana Review Michael Waters Poetry Prize. Her poems have been published in Best New Poets 2014, Blackbird, Colorado Review, Poetry Northwest, The Adroit Journal, and Verse Daily, among others. She has also been honored with awards from AWP, Ninth Letter, and The Montreal International Poetry Prize. Erin was born and raised in Point Reyes, CA, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from San Diego State. She teaches at the Writing Salon in San Francisco and serves on the board of the Marin Poetry Center. She lives in San Rafael, CA, with her husband and two young daughters.

The Poetry Night Reading Series is excited to feature Paul Aponte Rodoni and Erin Rodini at 7 PM on Thursday, July 6th, 2023, on the roof of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street in Davis.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.