Gathering together in March
Dear Ones,
This post shares places to connect with me in March. I’ve been collaborating with authors, publishers, libraries, and community spaces to produce spaces for storytelling and communion. It would be a joy to be together in person.
X
Amy
March 26: Poetry at Mercado La Paloma, 6 PM
We invite you to kick off #AWP2025 with an evening of great food + poetry showcase + meet & greet with LA and visiting writers at Mercado La Paloma.
Mercado La Paloma is a former garment factory that now houses a bustling food market and a vibrant gathering space, thanks to the revitalization efforts of Esperanza Housing Community Corp. Please order your dinner and drinks from the market’s vendors then join us in the event room at the back from 6-8 PM for community and plenty of poetry. Dining tables and chairs will be available. The mercado is fully accessible from the street; located 2 miles from the AWP venue and can be reached by public transit. More parking and transit info here: https://www.mercadolapaloma.com/directions-parking
March 27: The Wor(l)ds We Carry at Central Library (LA Public Library) 5PM- 6:30
630 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Join us at Central Library, LA Public Library, in the International Languages seciton for an in person event.
Our languages are more than words—they are worlds. They hold memory, identity, and imagination. Here in Los Angeles, where over 200 languages are spoken, multilingual voices shape the stories we tell and the stories we need to hear. Yet publishing often limits those voices to just one or two languages.
Join award-winning authors Amy Shimshon-Santo, Karen Llagas, Leonora Simonovis, Lydia Liu, and Àkpà Árinzèchukwu as they celebrate the power of reading and writing in all our languages. From poetry to storytelling, these writers are keeping languages alive on the page and pushing boundaries in literature for diasporic communities across Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Middle East, Latin America, and West Africa.
Whether you're a reader, writer, aspiring author, teacher, or simply curious about the wor(l)ds we carry, come listen and share in this vibrant conversation. For ADA accommodations, call (213) 228-7430 at least 72 hours prior to the event. Para ajustes razonables según la ley de ADA, llama al (213) 228-7430 al menos 72 horas antes del evento.
March 28: A Newly Discovered Galaxy of Words: Unsolicited Press Authors & Recent Books, 1:45 - 3PM
This reading will be held onsite at the AWP Conference at the Bookfair Stage, West Hall A, Level One, Los Angeles Convention Center. This event features authors with recent releases from Unsolicited Press, a small literary press in the Pacific Northwest. Unsolicited Press proudly publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction based on merit. The press is woman-owned and committed to publishing only women in 2025.
March 28: The Story of Self in Creative Nonfiction: Womxn, Allies & Personal Histories, The Village Well, 7PM-8:30PM
LA authors Amy Shimshon-Santo and Jackson Bliss join Laura Gaddis and Liz Kellebrew to read from and discuss their different books of lyrical nonfiction published by one of the West Coast's best indie presses. The authors will discuss topics like intergenerational storytelling, mixed-race and hybrid identity, pregnancy loss, love, and ancestral history.
SAVE THE DATES!
May 3: L.A. Book Launch for Random Experiments in Bioluminescence, Wanda Coleman Theater at Beyond Baroque, In-person event, 2 PM
Mark your calendars for a fully-feathered-plurilingual-multispecies-poetry-party-book-launch on Saturday afternoon, May 3, in the Wanda Coleman Theater of Beyond Baroque in Venice.
April 22: Earth Citizen, University of Boulder at Colorado, Online Event, 10:15AM
Join me online for this special Earth Day event sponsored by the Access and Community Engagement office at U of Boulder.