Poetry Night Reading Series: Allegra Silberstein with Jean Biegun

The Poetry Night Reading Series is excited to feature Allegra Silberstein and Jean Biegun at 7 PM on Thursday, January 5th, 2023, on the first floor of the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street in Davis.

Allegra Silberstein was the first poet laureate of the City of Davis. Originally from Wisconsin, Silberstein has lived in California since 1963. In addition to three chapbooks of poetry, she has been widely published in print journals and online publications. Her first book of poems, West of Angels, was published by Cold River Press in March of 2015, and in 2022, Kelsay Books published her new chapbook, Dancing with the Morning Breeze.

Silberstein dances and performs with Pamela Trokanski’s Third Stage Company, and sings with the Davis Threshold Choir. At age 92, Allegra has been a favorite audience member at regional poetry readings for decades. Allegra lives on an acre of land in South Davis where tending to the earth enriches her spirit.

Jean Biegun began writing in 2000, a few years before retiring from a career in special education with the Chicago Public Schools. Her poems have appeared in over 100 journals, anthologies, art exhibits, and even in a gumball machine at a state poetry convention. In 2022, she received the Eastern Iowa Review’s Christine Award for Best Prose Poem of 2021. Her work was included in Best of Mad Swirl 2021 Anthology, and her chapbook Hitchhikers to Eden was published by Kelsay Books. Gyroscope Review recently nominated her poem “Edge Effects” for a Pushcart Prize. 

During her retirement in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Biegun initiated several projects to bring poetry to the public. She wrote for the nature center’s seasonal newsletter, organized and hosted open mics, and curated events that involved teams of community leaders reading favorite poems alongside poet partners who read their response pieces. She still participates long-distance in an annual ekphrastic collaboration and gallery exhibit with Wisconsin artists.

This event will take place indoors at the John Natsoulas Gallery (521 1st Street) at 7 PM on Thursday, January 5th, 2023. An open mic will follow the featured performers. Open mic performances will be limited to four minutes or two items, whichever is shorter. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “Be sincere, be brief, be seated.” Sincerity will not be enforced. The open mic list typically fills by 7 PM, so please arrive early if you would like to perform something during the 8 o’clock hour.

We recommend that you wear a mask to Poetry Night. According to a Yolo County December 6 press release, “This winter is the first in several years where we are seeing significant flu and RSV activity, in addition to COVID-19, so we are now making masking recommendations based on all circulating respiratory viruses, not just on COVID,” said Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. “Wearing a high-quality mask indoors is a great way to protect yourself and others from respiratory viruses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19.” Stay safe so you can write more poems!

The Poetry Night Reading Series, taking place on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, and by John Natsoulas and the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. This event is supported by Katerina Hanks, producer, and Timothy Nutter, sound and lighting engineer.

Find the Facebook page for this event at https://www.facebook.com/events/885415145985316/