OC BOOK FAIR: Poets in Conversation
Nov
7
4:30 PM16:30

OC BOOK FAIR: Poets in Conversation

OC Book Fair Vol. 3: Poets in Conversation
Two poets, one stage, and a conversation you won’t want to miss. Mimi Tempestt and Marcus Omari pair up for an in-depth exchange at the third annual OC Book Fair. Pull up early, grab a book, and stay for the poetry.

Date & Time: Saturday, November 14, 2026 · 12:25PM
Venue: 3rd Street Stage, Old Town Tustin
Featuring: @mimi.tempestt & @marcusomariprp

Also in Conversation: 11:15AM: Donato Martinez & Alexis Jaimes · 11:40AM: Idris Goodwin & Jeremiah Cobra
Emcee: Josh Wood
More Info: theocbookfair.org · #OCBookFair

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KIN+FLO presents SYNTHESIS
Nov
7
4:00 PM16:00

KIN+FLO presents SYNTHESIS

✨ SYNTHESIS: November 7 + 8, 2026 ✨ We’re excited to share the artists and creatives joining us for Synthesis, a two-day group exhibition presented by Kin+Flo at Play Nice in Long Beach. We imagined Synthesis as a space to bring together artists whose work reflects their stories, histories, cultures, experiences and perspectives. On November 7 + 8, we bring that vision to life, together.

Join us. Spend time with the work, meet the artists, listen to some music, connect with someone new, and experience these stories together in one space.

Saturday, November 7: 12–9pm (Opening Reception @ 7pm) · Sunday, November 8: 12–4pm
Venue: Play Nice, 1029 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA

Artists: @ajwilldesign @artistnatemcmullen @aveartdesign @coyote_rob_art @honorablemohammed @joseph_roi @kaleekab @philippeanthony @photoham @van_gotti
Poetry Performance: Marcus Omari @marcusomariprp
DJs: @djpuffs @illmeca @wordamouph
Community Partners: @smbdy2me @scntrl

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AFTER SUNDAY: The Living Room feat. Marcus Omari
Sep
21
7:30 PM19:30

AFTER SUNDAY: The Living Room feat. Marcus Omari

  • Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

❤️🖤💚 THE LIVING ROOM  The Living Room is a community kickback built around good people, good energy and real connection.

❤️🖤💚 Come as you are. Get comfortable. Connect through music, art, culture, conversation and Soul Cipher. At 7PM, the mic gets hot — poets, writers, singers, storytellers, creatives and voices from the community are invited to share.  No judgment. Real voices. Real connection. To, by & for the culture.  Cover: Free • Space is limited

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FREEWAY SERIES:  A Poets Gathering
Aug
9
1:00 PM13:00

FREEWAY SERIES: A Poets Gathering

On Sunday, August 9th, the Freeway Series: A Poets Gathering filled Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana with poetry, expression, and connection. Hosted by Mike the Poet, Marcus Omari, and Gustavo Arellano, this free showcase and arts mixer brought together voices from Orange and LA County. Thank you to every artist and guest who pulled up. The lanes stay open. One freeway connects us all. Infinite artistic possibilities lie ahead… stay tuned for the next stop.

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BOOMBOX POETS SALON
Aug
4
8:00 PM20:00

BOOMBOX POETS SALON

Acompáñanos este próximo martes 4 de agosto en L'Osidian, ubicado en el piso 14 del Sofitel Reforma. Tenemos un increíble elenco de poetas y la música curada por DJ Jilli P. ¡No podemos esperar para compartir contigo otra noche increíble de poesía, música y comunidad!

Join us next Tuesday, August 4th, at L'Osidian on the 14th floor of Sofitel Reforma. We have an incredible lineup of poets, with music curated by DJ Jilli P. We can't wait to see you for another amazing evening of poetry, music, and community!

Featuring Poets:

@marcusomariprp @andreapaolahg_ @andrebeldia @antoniacalvo @daiisha_ma @deivid_carb @isabellecorreawrites @letrasdeenero @miguel_de_coraza @valentiina_eli

DJ: @jillianlogan

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ARVIDA: Junteenth Reading
Jun
22
3:00 PM15:00

ARVIDA: Junteenth Reading

Saturday, June 28th - First Open Mic of Summer 2025
An open mic so hot... we had to take it outside. Mics, canopy, music, and that summer soulstice! Limited seating. Unlimited talent. Pull up on time. Share your truth. Share your gift.
Hosted by Marcus Omari
Featuring Judah One

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All About Love (and You)
Feb
13
11:15 AM11:15

All About Love (and You)

M. Omari will deliver a two engaging and interactive sessions: 1) performance poetry; 2) poetry writing workshop designed to explore the intersection of poetry, identity, and effective communication. Participants will engage in guided writing exercises, vocal exploration aimed at enhancing their expressive abilities. The sessions fosters self-expression, confidence, and audience engagement, equipping students with tools to amplify their unique voices.

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Word Fest O.C.
Oct
18
11:00 AM11:00

Word Fest O.C.

The daylong festival encompassed multicultural literary works and promoted creative writing as a form of individual and communal expression.

Join poet and writer Marcus Omari for a transformative workshop that explores poetry as a powerful tool for self-expression and empowerment. Through guided writing exercises and the sharing of poetic works, participants will discover how to use their unique voices to craft poems that reflect their identities and personal experiences.

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IKEA Mental Health Festival: Artist Safespaces feat. Marcus Omari
May
4
2:00 PM14:00

IKEA Mental Health Festival: Artist Safespaces feat. Marcus Omari

Join us for a session of Spoken Word Poetry with Marcus Omari @ 2:30pm-3pm! We’re excited to announce, “Art Therapy”, the first annual mental health festival by @artistsafespacesand @ikeacostamesa @ikeausa on May 4th, 2024!


Join us in celebrating mental health awareness month and embracing self-expression! We’ll be exploring the power of vulnerability & being present with oneself in a fun + playful way. Come to IKEA Costa Mesa and paint with us ✨


2:30pm-3pm: Join us for a session of Spoken Word Poetry with Marcus Omari!

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Legacy Youth Leadership Summit
Jul
30
9:15 AM09:15

Legacy Youth Leadership Summit

Poetry Session Saturday July 30, 2022 @ 9:15am

One part United Nations General Assembly and one part Music Festival! This epic two-day event, hosted in-person & virtually, will celebrate and honor the amazing impact made by the student & teacher leaders in our Legacy Schools by:

  1. Presenting powerful, inspirational All-Summit Plenary Sessions featuring world-class speakers, leaders, celebrities, musicians, artists, and more!

  2. Hosting intimate breakout sessions with LYL Staff & Special Guests about Leadership, Fundraising, Marketing, Event Planning, Social Media and more to help you be the best leader you can be!

  3. Building inter-school student relationships so students can share ideas from their own LYL experiences and meet other inspiring young activists from all over the World!

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BOOK RELEASE: Namaz - Poems, Meditations, & Rituals by Arezou Ghane
May
10
6:30 PM18:30

BOOK RELEASE: Namaz - Poems, Meditations, & Rituals by Arezou Ghane

Namaz offers poems, meditations, and rituals for collective healing and remembering in these disconnected times. Dr. Arezou Ghane weaves ancestral stories and textures alongside the beautifully mundane details of modern life. Including fresh adaptations of ancient food medicines from the Silk Road and guided practices to cultivate curiosity, compassion, and peace. Namaz intends to elevate and inspire.

Opening Poems: Marcus Omari

May 10th 6:30pm

Maya Moon Collective

3349 Adams Ave

San Diego, CA 92116

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Dona Nobis Pacem: music & poetry world premiere
May
7
12:30 PM12:30

Dona Nobis Pacem: music & poetry world premiere

  • Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Pacific Chorale’s first-ever presentation of Vaughan Williams’ powerful plea for peace, Dona Nobis Pacem, honors the composer’s 150th year, and features Deanna Breiwick and Grammy Award-winner Dashon Burton as soloists. This closing program to the Chorale’s 2021-22 season also includes a new work by former Composer-in-Residence Tarik O’Regan featuring poetry by Marcus Omari, a West Coast premiere by longtime collaborator Frank Ticheli, Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw’s playful pairing of choir and string orchestra, and an exuberant Walt Whitman setting by Jake Runestad.

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Chapman University Story Conference Panel
Apr
19
6:00 PM18:00

Chapman University Story Conference Panel

Tuesday, April 19, 2022: Literary Pub(lishing) Crawl 

Location: Beckman 404 

Host: Jim Blaylock

Moderator(s): Ansalee Morrison and Lydia Pejovic 

6:00-6:45p Panel Session: A Conversation about the Artistic Ecosystem

Marcus Omari draws from his experiences as a national speech champion, workshop facilitator, and founder of the Poetic Reform Party to offer ways writers can get involved in sustaining literary culture: https://chapman.edu/StoryConference

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AWP Conference Panel: Workshops for the Working Class
Mar
25
2:30 PM14:30

AWP Conference Panel: Workshops for the Working Class

  • Pennsylvania Convention Center (Room 118BC, Level 100) (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

How do learning spaces rally in service of their community members and bridge the access-gap between art literacy and class? In this panel, Workshops for the Working Class: How How We Build Learning Spaces Outside Academia, four diverse L.A. area workshop founders open a dialogue on their community outreach, operating practices and pedagogies. Each panelist will outline achievements and challenges they’ve encountered in their work to uplift, mentor, teach and advocate new models that center multiculturalism and deny systems of domination and white supremacy in the classroom.

If you are attending AWP this year, look for us Friday, March 25 at 10:35am in the Philadelphia Convention Center, Room 118BC, Level 100.

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Freedom in Full Bloom: A Juneteenth Celebration
Jun
19
3:00 PM15:00

Freedom in Full Bloom: A Juneteenth Celebration

In partnership with Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation, Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents its first ever Juneteenth celebration on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza! Join us for an afternoon of interactive activities and artistic performances celebrating Black innovation and resilience in music, poetry, visual art, and gardening. Artistic curation by Dr. Natalie Graham, Director of the Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation at California State University, Fullerton.

To understand why Juneteenth is celebrated, it is also essential to understand the impact of racial slavery in the United States. Stay tuned for resources on the Center’s social media channels for resources and opportunities to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and the significance of honoring Juneteenth today. Historical consultation by Dr. Jamila Moore Pewu, Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and New Media in History at California State University, Fullerton.

Performers & Activities*
3:00 – Dembrebrah West African Drum and Dance Ensemble
3:10 – Pouring of libations and reading of Margaret Walker’s “For My People” with Gwen Alexis
3:20 – The World Is Your Canvas painting activity with KayJo Creatives
5:15 – Seed, Root, Grow, and Flourish: A Poetry Performance, hosted by bridgette bianca and featuring: F. Douglas Brown, Nikia Chaney, James Coats, Maya Adenihun, Romaine Washington, and Marcus Omari
6:30 – Planting for Our Future and Parenting for Liberation with Trina Greene Brown
7:00 – Closing remarks with Dr. Natalie J. Graham

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Chapman University: VOICES feat. Marcus Omari
May
14
1:00 PM13:00

Chapman University: VOICES feat. Marcus Omari

Join us, Friday the 14th at 1pm PST for a fun virtual poetry reading featuring Marcus Omari. Marcus is a dedicated poet, writer and performer. Marcus has been a featured poet on VERSES & FLOW on TV One, has authored several poetrychapbooks and contributed poetic vocals for various multi-genre music albums. Marcus now lives in Orange County, CA. where he teaches in the Creative Writing Conservatory at Orange County School of the Arts, has co-directed the annual Bocade Oro Literary Arts & Culture Festival, coordinates the Poetry Out Loud program andheads the rowdy artistic-activist collective: Poetic Reform Party. -www.marcusomari.com

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Santa Ana USD Just Write It: book talk w/ Marcus Omari
Apr
14
3:00 PM15:00

Santa Ana USD Just Write It: book talk w/ Marcus Omari

Local authors share their books and talk about their personal writing processes. Completely virtual workshop. Free copy of the authors book discussed for participating students.

Anatalia Vallez - The Most Spectacular Mistake

Ernesto Cisneros - Efren Divided

Marcus Omari - 14th Street Local; South of Andromeda

Gustavo Hernandez  - Noon to Night Roads

Presented by Santa Ana Unified School District

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Writer, IGNITER Poetry Summit w/ DIY MFA
Apr
12
9:45 AM09:45

Writer, IGNITER Poetry Summit w/ DIY MFA

I am so excited to be featured in the Writer Igniter Poetry Summit from DIY MFA! In this summit you’ll hear me and 9 other poets share knowledge about the craft and business of writing poetry.

The summit launches at the beginning of next week and will run from April 5-14. My specific interview will be LIVE on April 12. Please join with this link to participate in the full event: diymfa.com/Poetry

You’ll discover tools and techniques to help you improve your writing, and you’ll hear how our own careers have led us to where we are now. You’ll leave this summit not only with a better understanding of the craft, but also with new energy and motivation for your own writing. Go to http://diymfa.com/Poetry and sign up with your email for access to this FREE event.

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