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!

Poetry reading at the beautiful Billie Jean King library in downtown Long Beach, CA.

Hosted by Mike “The Poet” Sunken

Featuring Danielle Mitchell, F. Douglass Brown, Luivette Resto, and Marcus Omari

Open Mic to follow

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

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.

Community poetry reading on Monday April 25th. Share work with a few other poets. The reading will take place from 11:30-12:45.
All the best to you,

More information TBD…

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

Oxford Academy's school newspaper, The Gamut, hosts third annual school-wide poetry slam: GamSlam. Guest speaker this year: Marcus Omari.

GamSlam will be held on April 15th at Oxford Academy’s Gym from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.

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.

Join us this Sunday for Poetic Voices with Marcus Omari.

He and our very own Carol Latham will delve into the indispensable value of the poetic arts.

We go live on Facebook Sunday, March 13th at 1 p.m.

See you there!!!

Register for the online event HERE

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

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

The art of storytelling & poetry on display… time to shake up the dust!
This event will be streamed live to “My Place Cafe Events” YouTube page.

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

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.

Join Marcus Omari for Poetic Voice in Art & Advocacy: The Creative Power Within Our Stories on April 7th from 5:30-7:00pm (PST). This event is open to ALL LCAD community members.

In this radically reimagined mini-workshop, award winning poet, writer and teaching artist Marcus Omari will lead in unique writing exercises and guide a lively group discussion around the power of poetic voice and creative art that leads to the courage of advocacy. Artistically acknowledging the strengths and vulnerabilities in our stories can help us achieve a new level of personal advocacy. How can poetry reshape an existing narrative or create an entirely new one? This workshop aims to take a refreshing approach to creativity, personal truth and advocacy. 

Thursday, February 25 at 10:00 AM – HEAR OUR SONG Performances by: Marcus Omari (Poet) and Venus Fields (Dancer)

Closing Keynote Speaker: Dr. Joy Degruy

Celebrate Black History Month with our closing event! Featuring performances by poet Marcus Omari and dancer Venus Fields. Our closing keynote speaker is nationally renowned author and speaker Dr. Joy Degruy.

REGISTER: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1/394n3tl

The Power of Storytelling as Advocacy

The Social Sciences Academic Resource Center (SSARC) and Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR) presents Our Story. Our Voice. Our Time: the power of storytelling as advocacy.

Date: Monday, January 25, 2021
Time: 5:30-7:00 PM
Location: Zoom

In this radically reimagined mini-workshop, award winning poet, writer and teaching artist Marcus Omari will lead in unique writing exercises and guide a lively group discussion around the power of our stories in our voice that leads to the courage of advocacy.

How do we harness the strengths and vulnerabilities in our stories to achieve a new level of personal advocacy? When is it time to shift narratives and by whom? What does poetry have to do with it? This workshop aims to address such questions with a refreshing approach to creativity, personal truth and advocacy. Join this session and take on an opportunity to explore and contribute to the growing collective list of “truth to power” practices.

**In closing, attendees will be invited and encouraged to share snippets from newly created works based on session exercises intended to spark the creation of new narrative beginnings. (limited time availability)**

For questions, please contact ssarc@uci.edu.

REGISTER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpkWw6aPcumALkDL5ACD6YfrH25P_5PlKLq-3x96a9LALHKA/viewform

Get ready for something special to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday, which we will celebrate as a community on Tuesday, January 19th, from 12 noon to 1 PM. We have five poets, writers, and artists from Los Angeles joining us, to read work in honor of or engaged with the leadership and legacy of MLK. We ask our students, faculty, and staff to add their own readings—written by them or others—to the hour, as well. Just bring a short piece with you! Ring Central Meeting link will be available in our profile here closer to the date and announced via campus email blast. #mlkday #woodburyuniversityevents@woodbury_university @mikethepoetla @natashiadeon @nikkiblak @socalpoets

We’re here to help you make your best Poetry Out Loud entry possible!
Sign up for a guided workshop hosted by Poetry Coach Marcus Omari. Ask questions on how to improve your poetry recitation videos and get an edge in the competition.

The top three winners of our program will receive Barnes and Noble gift cards, courtesy of the OCPL Foundation.

See our web site ocpl.org/poetryoutloud for details and to register.

#ocpubliclibraries #orangecounty #libraries

The POETRY LAB presents a virtual Performance Poetry Workshop lead by Marcus Omari.

Learn craft while creating new work in an exciting collaborative setting! Sunday Series offers a new workshop on the 3rd Sunday of every month from 1:00-3:30pm PST (4:00-6:30pm EST, 3:00-5:30 CT).

All Sunday Series workshops are held via Zoom. Video and microphone are needed to participate in class discussions, share new work, and ask questions. We are collaborative community of writers and getting to know you is part of our gladdest work.

There is no minimum writing experience necessary to take this workshop. All people of all backgrounds are welcome.

Creating wellness in our community, involves us all. Join a panel conversation of talented writers discussing how we can use the strength in our stories to collectively, heal, recover, build resilience, and rewrite our narrative to build a movement for change.

Featured Writers Panel:

Natasia Deon // Brandon Easton // Amanda Fletcher

Hosted by:

Iliana Soto-Welty // Marcus Omari

Presented by:

OC Multi-Ethnic Collaborative and Community Agencies