Events

Celena’s Scribes with Wil Clarke

(All Levels)

Tuesdays, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM PT, Weekly. Workshops resume Tuesday, September 12, 2023 on Zoom.

To register: https://tinyurl.com/Fall2023CWW

Named in honor of beloved workshop leader CelenaDiana Bumpus, participants are encouraged to write from a prompt and share their work, with friendly critiques offered by workshop members. All genres are welcome to be explored. Enrollment is limited.

Wil Clarke tolerates writing, but loves having written. He was born and spent 27 years of his life in Africa. He misses the guidance and wisdom of Celena Bumpus and is attempting to keep her legacy alive in her former students through Celena’s Scribes.

Spoken Word Poetry with David Puma

(All Levels)

Alternating Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 PM, 9/12, 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, and 11/7

In person at Riverside Main Library

3900 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside

To register: https://tinyurl.com/Fall2023CWW

In this Spoken Word Poetry Workshop, we invite you to dive into the expressive storytelling power of the spoken word. Unleash your creativity and find your unique voice as we explore the art of crafting powerful and evocative poems. You will be guided through various poetic forms, techniques, and performance styles. Discover how to convey emotions, perspectives, and personal experiences through your words and presence.

Through interactive exercises, drafting poems, peer review, and analyzing spoken word poets, you will learn to infuse your poems with rhythm, rhyme, and mesmerizing imagery, unlocking the potential to engage listeners on a profound level. Our inclusive and supportive environment encourages open expression, fostering a space where you can share your truth and elevate your spoken word prowess. Registration is limited to 12.

David Puma obtained his M.F.A. in creative writing at San Jose State University and his B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Redlands. He has been in advanced poetry workshops every semester for the last four years, and has performed spoken word across California, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire – as well as in New York City and in London, U.K. Professionally, David’s poetry has been included on streaming platforms like Disney+.

The Art and Craft of Writing Poetry with Romaine Washington

(All Levels)

Alternating Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 PM PT, 9/12, 9/26, 10/10, 10/24, and 11/7/23, Zoom

To register: https://tinyurl.com/Fall2023CWW

Discover the art and craft of writing poetry with generative prompts and other forms of poetic inspiration. Brief group feedback will help you uncover images and language that resonate for you and for your audience.

Romaine Washington, M. Ed., is the author of “Purgatory Has an Address” (Bamboo Dart Press) and “Sirens in Her Belly” (Jamii Publications). She has been published in a wide variety of anthologies and periodicals, including Inlandia Institute’s “San Bernardino Singing” anthology and “Cholla Needles 32, 36 and 39.”

Ms. Washington is a fellow of The Watering Hole, South Carolina, and the Inland Area Writing Project at the University of California, Riverside. She was a public school educator for over twenty years, and has developed a social justice curriculum available for free on her website: https://www.romainewashington.com/. The proud mother of two sons, Romaine Washington is a native Californian from San Bernardino who currently resides in the Inland Empire.