New poetry reading series comes to Tucson

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, poets have had few places to share their work.

Katie Zale is fixing that problem with the Tucson Arts Poetry Series, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Tucson Desert Art Museum, 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road. When they meet the fourth Saturday of each month, two poets will read from their published works.

“I’ve realized that Tucson really needed a location for local poets to share their published works,” she said.

“Since COVID, places don’t seem to have gotten back on their feet. My friends and I decided to just make this happen.”

Recently, the writers came together for an Ekphrastic Poetry Contest. A judge for the contest, Cynthia Hogue, talked about the art of ekphrastic poetry and read from her chapbook of ekphrastic poems, “Contain,” written during the pandemic.

The attending poets selected a painting or artifact that inspired them to write a poem in response. Ten winning poems (or excerpts) will be reimagined as frameable art by printmaking students at Pima Community College, under the guidance of their instructor Lauren Steinert.

At the 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, gathering, each selected poem will be displayed next to the painting or artifact that inspired it. The art students will explain their process and the winning poets will read their poems. Both the poets and printmaking artists will be available for questions.

Zale — who has been dabbling in poetry since she attended Cooley High School in Detroit — said her events are booked through February 2024.

“Poets are eager to show their work,” she said. “They haven’t had a play to do that in Tucson, at least not for our local poets.”

Tucson Arts Poetry Series w/Alan Perry and Gene Twaronite

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25; and every fourth Saturday

WHERE: Tucson Desert Art Museum, 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson

COST: Email for info

INFO: katiesarahtaps@gmail.com

This article appears in Mar 23-29, 2023.