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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Kalamazoo Poetry Festival
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250919T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250919T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250901T033057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T033307Z
UID:2948-1758310200-1758315600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Open Mic at The Institute
DESCRIPTION:This Open Mic sponsored by KPF takes place every third Friday of the month at The Institute of Public Scholarship. September’s feature artist is hip hop musician Lipsey! Come on out\, enjoy the creativity\, and maybe even add your own into the mix!
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/open-mic-at-the-institute/
LOCATION:The Institute of Public Scholarship\, 313 N Burdick St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/6789.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250918T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250918T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250827T152840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T152840Z
UID:2935-1758218400-1758222000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Virtual Workshop with Molly Kirschner: Writing For Ourselves and Each Other\, Not the Critic
DESCRIPTION:Use the website link below to sign up for free! \nWriting For Ourselves and Each Other\, Not the Critic \nPoetry is a one-way ticket deeper into the moment; into observation\, sensation\, and interpretation\, which are the raw materials of meaning. Too often\, our own inner critic arrests us on the surface of experience\, begrudging us the voyage into significance. Through a mixture of collaborative and solitary activities\, this workshop will focus on firing the critic so that we may inhabit our practice more fully. We will play\, exchange inspirations\, and enter into a state of heightened concentration. The workshop will close with a sharing component\, in which writers will have the opportunity either to read their own work out loud or to hear someone else read it. Because we will have dispensed with the critic\, there will be no group critique; rather\, we will simply offer our poems to each other as gifts. \nAbout Molly: \nMolly Kirschner is a poet\, playwright\, performer\, and educator. Her poems have appeared in journals\nincluding The Southern Review\, The New Ohio Review\, and One Magazine\, and four of her poems\nare forthcoming in Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. Kirschner was awarded the\ninaugural poetry residency at The Hundredth Hill: “Resilience: the Poet’s Response to These Troubled\nTimes.” Her new manuscript was a finalist for the 2021 Four Way Books Levis Prize in Poetry.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/virtual-workshop-with-molly-kirschner-writing-for-ourselves-and-each-other-not-the-critic/
LOCATION:MI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Promo1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250918T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250918T150000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250918T105731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T105731Z
UID:3043-1758200400-1758207600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:WMU Open Monthly Open Mic
DESCRIPTION:Join us at 3025 Brown Hall on the WMU Main Campus for and open mid and refreshments. Open to students and the community!
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/wmu-open-monthly-open-mic/
LOCATION:Brown Hall\, WMU\, 1903 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, 49008\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Untitled-design-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250830T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250830T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250827T153958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T153958Z
UID:2939-1756576800-1756587600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Poetry and Potions
DESCRIPTION:Step into an evening where words and flavors intertwine. Poetry & Potions brings together soulful spoken word\, open mic performances\, and the art of craft cocktails for a night of creativity and connection.\nFeatured Poet: Biscuit – known for dynamic delivery and thought-provoking verses that leave audiences moved and inspired.\nWhat to Expect:\nFeatured performance by Biscuit\nOpen mic for writers\, musicians\, and performers\nSpecialty cocktails crafted just for the event\nA warm\, welcoming space to connect with artists and art lovers\nWhether you’re here to share your voice or simply soak in the atmosphere\, this is your night to be inspired.\nAdmission: Free to attendOpen Mic Sign-Up:Sign up Link:https://docs.google.com/…/1qMGa5nIYBNoBS6BVxP37mit…/editorat the door
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/poetry-and-potions/
LOCATION:Green Door Distilling Co & Tasting Room\, 429 E North St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007-5007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Poetry-Potions-Flyer-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250828T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250828T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250827T152007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T154047Z
UID:2930-1756404000-1756411200@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:KIA Summer Jams
DESCRIPTION:Looking for a space to share your music\, poetry\, or spoken word? Or just want to enjoy a night of local talent\, creativity\, and community? Summer Jams is a three-part summer series at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA)\, designed to bring people together through live performances and artistic expression. \nEach night will feature a rotating lineup of independent artists\, emerging musicians\, and spoken word performers\, showcasing the diverse rhythms\, genres\, and voices that shape our community. Whether you’re stepping up to the mic or simply here to enjoy the show\, this is a space to connect\, inspire\, and celebrate creativity.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/kia-summer-jams/
LOCATION:Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts\, 314 S Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007-5007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Summer-Jams-Open-Mic-Open-Mic-Collaboration-Featured-Reader-Elizabeth-Bullmer.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250823T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250823T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250818T033813Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250818T033813Z
UID:2924-1755964800-1755972000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Air Poetry
DESCRIPTION:THIS EVENT IS FREE! \nWhat is Air Poetry? \nA poetry and music performance event\, complete with open mic\, DJ\, and refreshments.\nThe event takes place outdoors at Kazoo Books located at 2413 Parkview Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI 49008 on August 23\, 2025 from 4-6pm.\nFeatured performers are local musician Jessica Ivey\, local poet Markeva Love\, and local flash fiction writer Laura Citino.\nThis event is hosted by The Kalamazoo Poetry Festival in partnership with Kazoo Books. \nThe event will also feature the unveiling of a limited run of t shirts\, featuring poetry written by clients and staff at YWCA Kalamazoo. All proceeds from the t shirt sales will be donated to the YWCA.\nKalamazoo Poetry Festival- https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/\nKazoo Books- https://kazoobooks.com/ \nPerformer Bios:\nJessica ‘Jess’ Ivey is a vocalist\, songwriter\, teaching artist\, DJ and vocal producer from the West side of Detroit. Jess’ vocal style is an expressive blend of alternative R&B\, gospel and melodic Hip-Hop. A classically trained vocalist and student of Black music\, Jess blends her various musical influences in a multi-faceted one woman show with vulnerability at the center of all her live performances. She got her start performing live shows and recording music with Last Gasp Collective and just released a single entitled “Winter Bourbon”. For more information visit singgjess.com\nI’m Markeva Love. I Graduated from Adrian College Spring of 2021 where I obtained my dual bachelor’s degree in Biology & Philosophy. I am a Health Educator for the Kalamazoo County Health Department. Born and raised in Kalamazoo MI\, I am an avid reader\, who enjoys fitness\, travel and the occasional game night with family and friends. I’m passionate about quality\, innovation and creativity that helps to improve both community as well as the lives of those that make it. I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with several organizations here in South West Michigan through featuring and emceeing. I love the performing arts and being an artist who embraces vulnerability and has found my voice and strength in it. I look forward to continuing my writing and sharing it with the world.\nLaura Citino is a writer and book artist from Kalamazoo\, Michigan. Her work explores regional identity\, surrealism\, rural mythologies\, and the mundane apocalypse in the Great Lakes and American Rust Belt. http://www.topophiliacproject.com/
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/air-poetry/
LOCATION:Kazoo Books\, 2413 Parkview Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49008\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Markeva-Love.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250612T194500
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250612T194500
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250516T190609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250518T135800Z
UID:2788-1749757500-1749757500@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:"Funeral Parade of Roses" - A film screening in partnership with Monoform Cinema
DESCRIPTION:*During the pre-show of this event\, you can listen to four local performers share their poetry and music as they represent The Kalamazoo Poetry Festival. There will also be a collaborative poem being written during the run time of this event that will be published on our website after the event! Come and add your voice! Funeral Parade of Roses \nWelcome to an unapologetically queer and dizzying pop-art fantasia that evades categorization. Through a rapid-fire combination of melodrama\, comedy\, horror\, documentary and experimental film\, director Toshio Matsumoto’s freewheeling approach to both genre and form results in a film that gleefully disorientates without ever feeling disjointed. Made at a point in cinema history when radically-minded filmmakers were testing\, breaking and redefining the limits of good filmmaking and taste\, Matsumoto’s movie attacks on both fronts with an irrepressible fervor\, creating a film that has retained its power to surprise\, delight and shock 55 years later. An unknown club dancer at the time\, trans actor Peter (from Kurosawa’s Ran) gives an astonishing Edie Sedgwick/Warhol superstar-like performance as Eddie\, hostess at Bar Genet—where she’s ignited a violent love triangle with reigning drag queen Leda (Osamu Ogasawara) for the attentions of club owner Gonda (Yoshio Tsuchiya\, from Seven Samurai and Yojimbo). Director Toshio Matsumoto’s shattering\, kaleidoscopic masterpiece is a key work of the Japanese New Wave and of queer cinema\, and one of the most subversive and intoxicating films of the late 1960s.\n\n1969\n1h 45min\nDirector: Toshio Matsumoto\nWriter: Toshio Matsumoto\nCast: Peter (Shinnosuke Ikehata)\, Osamu Ogasawara\, Yoshio Tsuchiya\nDoors and Pre-show at 7:45pm\, Show around 8:45pm PURCHASE TICKETS USING WEBSITE LINK BELOW
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/funeral-parade-of-roses-a-film-screening-in-partnership-with-monoform-cinema/
LOCATION:Doormouse Theatre\, 1030 Portage Street\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49001\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Untitled-design-12.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T191559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250423T235107Z
UID:2575-1745686800-1745694000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Featured Readers Finale & Reception
DESCRIPTION:Featured Poets Aaron Coleman and Denise Miller will each read their work for 25 minutes. The Finale Read will be followed by a reception catered by Kalamazoo local JaRay Reese. Come down\, hear some beautiful poetry\, and partake in some merry-making and networking after the event.  \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/featured-readers-finale-reception/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Celebration-of-Community-Poets-5-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T163000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T191511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250423T234852Z
UID:2573-1745681400-1745685000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Craft Talk
DESCRIPTION:Craft Talk\nFeatured Poets Denise Miller and Aaron Coleman participate in a Craft Talk moderated by KPF board member Nancy Nott. The poets will discuss their writing process and thoughts on poetry and writing in general. There is no way to describe where the conversation will lead\, so come check it out!\nAccessibility:\n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/craft-talk/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Come-share-your-work-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T130000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T201747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250417T122520Z
UID:2571-1745667000-1745672400@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Featured Reader Workshop: Denise Miller
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER HERE \nSounding the Heart of the poem\nSounding the Heart of the poem is a workshop by The Institute of Public Scholarship poet\, playwright\, and fiction writer\, Denise Miller\, that is focused on sound devices like assonance\, alliteration\, and consonance\, combined with the concept of echolocation\, to explore how poets can use sound to navigate the emotional and thematic depths of their work. Participants will examine how repeated vowel sounds (assonance)\, initial consonant sounds (alliteration)\, and recurring consonant sounds (consonance) create echoes within a poem\, much like echolocation helps non-human animals orient themselves in spaceThe workshop emphasizes how these sound devices resonate to reveal the “heart” of a poem—its core meaning or emotional truth. Activities include: \n\nAnalyzing Poems: Studying examples where sound devices enhance mood\, rhythm\, or imagery.\nSound Mapping: Participants create “sound maps” by identifying patterns of assonance\, alliteration\, and consonance in their own or others’ poems.\nWriting Exercises: Revising one of their poems that isn’t quite there yet to identify where sound can be deliberately used to evoke feelings or guide readers toward the poem’s heart.\nEcholocation Concept: Drawing parallels between the way sound waves bounce back to reveal unseen spaces and how poetic sounds uncover hidden layers of meaning.\n\nThis approach encourages poets to think of sound not just as ornamentation but as a tool for discovery and connection within their work \nREGISTER HERE
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/featured-reader-workshop-two/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Denise-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250426T113000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T201827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250416T182847Z
UID:2569-1745661600-1745667000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Featured Reader Workshop: Aaron Coleman
DESCRIPTION:REGISTER HERE \nHow We Attune to Gratitude\nIn this workshop we will explore how poets cultivate an intimate sense of attention: attuning to the complexity of the world around us and the worlds within us. We’ll dwell together with poems and writing prompts that cultivate our sense of careful attention and we’ll contemplate together what that attention makes possible\, especially gratitude\, especially communal connection and maybe even joy. \nREGISTER HERE
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/featured-reader-workshop-one/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Aaron-Coleman_photo-credit-Marcus-Jackson_resized-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250425T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250425T210000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T190614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T153420Z
UID:2567-1745607600-1745614800@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Your Turn Open Mic
DESCRIPTION:Your Turn Open Mic \nJoin Fire and Kalamazoo Poetry Festival for The Magic Open Mic\, hosted by Great Dane. Come early if you think you want to read! \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n– Wheelchair access through the entrance on Portage Street.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/2025-your-turn-open-mic/
LOCATION:Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative\, 1249 Portage Street\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49001\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/152780315_10159270802893069_2694755701803462699_n.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250424T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250424T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T190432Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250424T013129Z
UID:2565-1745519400-1745524800@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Celebration of Community Poets
DESCRIPTION:The Celebration of Community Poets \nThe Celebration of Community Poets is a yearly event hosted by the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival as a part of our National Poetry Month Festival Week. The Celebration combines multiple organization partnerships\, and ten plus local poets and musicians who share one original piece each. The Celebration is also where the KPF Community Poem is performed. The Community Poem is written by the Kalamazoo Friends of Poetry\, and represents dozens of pieces of visual art generated around our 2024/2025 theme of “Gratitude” at our February Ekphrastic Poetry Event. The event will offer light refreshments.  \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home.
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/2025-celebration/
LOCATION:Northside Association for Community Development\, 612 N Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Kateri-Menominee-8.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250405T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250405T113000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20250206T121738Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T212026Z
UID:2717-1743847200-1743852600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:RAWK and KPF Youth Poetry Workshop
DESCRIPTION:KPF and RAWK join forces to offer a youth poetry workshop based on the theme of “Gratitude”. Details about facilitator coming soon!\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				This workshop will be facilitated by WMU Graduate Student Hannah Arvanigian\, with help from KPF Executive Director Casey Grooten. \nHannah Seelman is a student at Western Michigan University\, where she is both earning anMFA in creative writing while teaching writing composition. Her passion for writing extendsbeyond the classroom\, as she has been published for her insightful and thought-provoking work.Although she loves writing\, her favorite time of day is when she can simply read a book with herdog sleeping on her lap. Her poetry has been published in Wingless Dreamer\, Thistle Magazine\,and other small journals. She is currently working on a collection of scary short stories shehopes to finish and publish by the end of the year. \nPlease use the sign up link below: \nhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2SDMwKYVAImGFCzbWugjkkfrg3UIbjijRb0zS-tLzM5Hxmg/viewform
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/rawk-and-kpf-youth-poetry-workshop/
LOCATION:Read and Write Kalamazoo\, 802 S Westnedge Ave\, KALAMAZOO\, MI\, 49008\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GratitudeRAWK_KPF.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250311T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250311T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T184332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T002606Z
UID:2560-1741717800-1741723200@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:March Workshop: Markeva Love\, Worth The Detour
DESCRIPTION:Workshop details and facilitator are forthcoming.\n			\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				March Workshop \nFacilitator: \nMarkeva Love \nWorkshop Name: \nWorth The Detour \nWorkshop Description: \n“Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s easy to get caught up in the things we think we want/ desire or deserve. “ Attendees will discuss/ write about a time or an event where they did not get what they wanted\, but it actually worked in their favor… either to have not received it at all or just received it later. (Ex. First time experiencing love\, even though it was toxic\, you still wanted it\, only to later realize it was never really love). The facilitator will instruct the attendees in how they have turned a situation like this into something constructive through writing. The attendees will have time to write\, and will have an opportunity to read their work to the group at the end of the workshop.  \nNote: \nThis is an in-person workshop. Writing utensils and paper will be provided. Water and Coffee will also be available at the event. Please arrive several minutes early\, so the workshop can start promptly on time. \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n			\n				Register Here
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/workshop-4/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MarkevaLove-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250308T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250308T150000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T190022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T145859Z
UID:2562-1741438800-1741446000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:March Workshop in Partnership With Fire: Tasleem Jamila\, Gratitude Through the Divine Lens: Exploring Sacred Poetry
DESCRIPTION:March Workshop in Partnership With Fire \n*The event is meant for individuals 18-25 years of age.  \nRegister for free \nFacilitator: \nTasleem Jamila \nWorkshop Name: \nGratitude Through the Divine Lens: Exploring Sacred Poetry \nWorkshop Description: \nIn this workshop\, participants will explore gratitude as a spiritual practice by drawing inspiration from writers who view the world through a sacred lens. Through poetry\, they will express thankfulness for the divine and sacred aspects of life. The session will encourage participants to craft poems inspired by the mystical poets they are introduced to\, with a focus on recognizing the divine both within themselves and in everyday moments. \nActivity: Begin with a brief introduction to the theme of gratitude as a spiritual practice. Then\, a short grounding exercise. \nIntroduce participants to a few mystical poets who write from a sacred perspective. \nRead several selected poems aloud and discuss how these poets’ express gratitude and spirituality in their work. \nProvide participants with several creative prompts inspired by the mystical poets you introduced earlier.  \nParticipants will share their poems. \nNote: \nThis is an in-person workshop. Writing utensils and paper will be provided. Water and Coffee will also be available at the event. Please arrive several minutes early\, so the workshop can start promptly on time. \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n 
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/workshop-5/
LOCATION:Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative\, 1249 Portage Street\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49001\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Tasleem-Jamila-Poetry-Workshop-March-8-1-3pm-@Fire.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250211T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250211T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T180351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T002512Z
UID:2555-1739298600-1739304000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:February Workshop: Sarah Steele\, For Those Who Have Walked Beside Us
DESCRIPTION:February Workshop \nFREE Tickets are first come first serve\, they can be reserved once the Eventbrite page becomes available in late November. \nFacilitator: \nSarah Steele \nWorkshop Name: \nFor Those Who Have Walked Beside Us \nWorkshop Description: \nWho walked beside you when life felt heavy? Who made you feel seen\, heard\, or understood in ways that changed your heart? Who guided your steps\, or simply stood with you in silence? \nIn this workshop\, we will explore the power of gratitude through poetry\, reflecting on those who have been our support in times of need. Through a process of personal writing\, we’ll uncover the metaphors that best capture the impact of these pivotal relationships. This experience will invite you to express your appreciation in a deeply personal way\, tapping into emotions of gratitude and connection. Together\, we’ll transform these reflections into poems\, and then bring them to life by writing them out on beautiful cards—so that you can share your words of thanks with the person who has made a difference in your life. Come prepared to honor the past\, celebrate the present\, and create something meaningful to share with someone who matters. \nNote: \nThis is an in-person workshop. Writing utensils and paper will be provided. Water and Coffee will also be available at the event. Please arrive several minutes early\, so the workshop can start promptly on time. \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n			\n				Register Here
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/workshop-3/
LOCATION:Northside Association for Community Development\, 612 N Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SarahSteele-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250208T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250208T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T180627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241126T134024Z
UID:2557-1739026800-1739037600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Ekphrastic Poetry and Art Making Event
DESCRIPTION:Ekphrastic Poetry Event \nCome make artwork inspired by the theme “Gratitude”. KPF is so grateful for our Kalamazoo community\, and is excited to see what you create! This event is hosted by Dream Scene Placemaking of Kalamazoo at Move With Joy Studio\, and sponsored by Kalamazoo Poetry Festival. \nDreamscene will be facilitating art making\, and will be providing the art making materials. Once the artwork is made\, the pieces will be scanned or photographed and sent to a community poetry organization in Kalamazoo called Friend of Poetry to inspire their writing of our Community Poem. This poem will be read at the Celebration of Community Poets in April. The artwork (from those who consent) will be displayed at the same event. The event will offer light refreshments.  \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \nCo-Hosted By: \nDreamscene Placemaking and Move With Joy
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/ekphrastic-poetry-and-art-making-event/
LOCATION:Move With Joy\, 1103 Portage St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49001\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_0316-1-1-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250116T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250116T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142708
CREATED:20240924T180224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241126T130408Z
UID:2552-1737050400-1737057600@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Community Read and Mixer
DESCRIPTION:Community Read and Mixer \nThis event functions similar to an open mic in the way that there will be a sign-up sheet at the beginning of the event\, and each reader will have 3-5 minutes to read a piece. The catch is that this piece must be a work in progress. The Emcee will introduce every reader by their name\, and the reader will be instructed to give no preface to the work. The works in progress that are read will be the attendees only introduction to each other for the mixer portion. There will be light refreshments\, and a DJ at this event.The sign-up to read will be in-person at the event. Doors open at 5:30pm. Come early if you want to sign up! There is a strict 3.5 minute reading time\, so please do not preface your work. Choose your piece (or portion of piece) carefully! Show us what you got! \nEmcees:Casey Grooten and Elizabeth KerlikowskeHosted by: BACC\, NACD\, and KPF \nAccessibility:– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n  \n			\n				RSVP For The Event
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/community-read-and-mixer/
LOCATION:Northside Association for Community Development\, 612 N Park St\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/EventPromoSquare.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20250107T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20250107T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142709
CREATED:20240924T175917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T002428Z
UID:2550-1736274600-1736280000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:January Workshop: Tasleem Jamila\, Echoes of Abundance: A Journey Through Sound and Poetic Affirmation
DESCRIPTION:January Workshop \nFREE Tickets are first come first serve\, they can be reserved once the Eventbrite page becomes available in late November. \nFacilitator: \nTasleem Jamila  \nWorkshop Title:  \nEchoes of Abundance: A Journey Through Sound and Poetic Affirmation \nWorkshop Description: \nEchoes of Abundance invites participants to immerse themselves in the healing frequencies of gratitude through sound\, voice\, and poetic affirmation. Using rhythmic breathwork\, vocal toning\, and guided soundscapes\, we’ll explore how gratitude\, expressed through words and music\, amplifies abundance and raises our energetic vibration. Participants will create and share their poetic affirmation songs\, embracing how the power of repetitive\, gratitude-infused chants can foster inner healing and connection. We’ll harmonize our voices in communal chants\, cultivating a resonant space for personal and collective transformation. \nNote: \nThis is an in-person workshop. Writing utensils and paper will be provided. Water and Coffee will also be available at the event. Please arrive several minutes early\, so the workshop can start promptly on time. \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n			\n				Register Here
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/workshop-2/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_0190-1-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20241108T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20241108T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142709
CREATED:20240924T175754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T151754Z
UID:2548-1731090600-1731096000@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Workshop: Susan Blackwell Ramsey- There’s More Where That Came From: An Enthusiastic Approach to Revision
DESCRIPTION:FREE Tickets are first come first serve\, they can be reserved here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1042507507017?aff=oddtdtcreator  \nFacilitator: \nSusan Blackwell Ramsey \nWorkshop Description: \nThere’s nothing greater than the feeling of having finished a poem\, yet we’re often disappointed on rereading it. This workshop argues that this moment is where the real fun begins\, that we should be grateful for first drafts because they provide us with the raw materials for exploration and discovery. Using approaches from detailed checklists and major surgery and recombination\, participants will have a chance to experience approaches to revision wildly different from the notion of “fixing” the poem. \nThe facilitator asks that each participant bring a “dead poem”\, or a poem that has been left behind. \nNote: This is an in-person workshop. Writing utensils and paper will be provided. Water and Coffee will also be available at the event. Please arrive several minutes early\, so the workshop can start promptly on time. \nAccessibility: \n– This even strives to be SCENT-FREE. Please consider leaving perfumes and fragrances at home. \n 
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/workshop/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/susan.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20241010T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20241010T200000
DTSTAMP:20260421T142709
CREATED:20240924T174759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241007T234053Z
UID:2544-1728583200-1728590400@kalamazoopoetryfestival.com
SUMMARY:Fall Open Mic
DESCRIPTION:The Kalamazoo Poetry Festival is hosting an Open Mic on October 10\, 2024 in downtown Kalamazoo\, at the First Congregational Church. The event takes place from 6-8pm.\nAlthough we are (obviously) going for a spooky theme\, the work you share does not need to be spooky in nature! However\, costumes are greatly encouraged!\nCome along\, bring a friend\, read your own work\, or one of your favorite poems!\nThe event is FREE and open to the public. Sign up is in person. Get your spot while they last.\nPLEASE RSVP and share widely! \n*No hate speech of any kind will be tolerated*
URL:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/event/2025-fall-open-mic/
LOCATION:First Congregational Church\, 345 W Michigan Ave\, Kalamazoo\, MI\, 49007\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalamazoopoetryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/458988172_1091004793031408_6039661441613102653_n-1.jpg
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END:VCALENDAR