Gbenga Adesina, Jon Racini, Diego Mitotli Martínez-Campos James Larkins, and Bryndyn Moondy

On the 10/29/25 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Gbenga Adesina joins the program to discuss his recent publication Death Does Not End at the Sea, which asks questions about grief, immigration, and the art of poetry. Adesina states that every immigrant story is a private epic, and details how his book emerged from his lived experience, moving to America after the passing of his father. He reads a poem, “I Carried my Father Across the Sea,” before the next guests, Jon Racini and Diego Mitotli Martínez-Campos appear on the show. Jon is the curator/mentor on Written and Directed By and Diego is one of the directors of an original play. They elucidate features of their short form and one act plays, including No Que No, directed by Martínez-Campos. These plays will be performed at the Wyatt Pavilion theater. The program concludes with a talk by composers James Larkins and Bryndyn Moondy, featured ensembles at the Tap Root New Music Festival. 

Gbenga Adesina is a Nigerian poet and essayist. He is the author of the poetry collection Death Does Not End at the Sea (University of Nebraska Press, 2025), which was long-listed for the National Book Award.Adesina was the 2019–2020 Olive B. O’Connor Fellow at Colgate University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Jon Racini is the author of two books: Contemporary Latina/o Theater: Wrighting Ethnicity (Southern Illinois University Press, 2008), and the Pragmatic Liberation and the Politics of Puerto Rican Diasporic Drama (University of Michigan Press, 2024, available open access thanks to UC Davis and the TOME initiative). His current scholarly work combines continued consideration of Latine theatre and performance with new thinking on writing and performance that explores expanded (experimental, creative, performative?) critical writing in relation to performance.

The Poetry Night Reading Series takes place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, Robby Nykodym, and by members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of 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.