​National Poetry Month Open Mic
Outdoor Art Patio at 137 King Street, in the San Sebastian Art District
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
​
Experience the spoken word scene with Ancient City Poets, at St. Johns County’s longest-running monthly poetry reading series. Poets and poetry lovers have been gathering in St. Augustine, on the last Sunday of every month since August 2009. Sign-up sheet is available at 2:30 p.m. Emcee Michael Henry Lee will call up the first 15 readers from the sign-up sheet, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Please limit each presentation to five minutes. 

Attn: Poets and Poetry Lovers-

​​The St. Augustine PoetFest will take place April 8-9 at Flagler College, a partnership with St. Johns Cultural Council, Flagler College English Department, and Ancient City Poets.

St. Johns County's National Poetry Month celebration will feature activities for poets and poetry lovers in America‘s Oldest City. 

Henry Rollins and his tour stop in St. Johns County is the reason why our festival will be held on the second weekend of April. Henry Rollins - Spoken word performer, independent press publisher, author, and legendary front man of the punk rock band Black Flag - will amaze you with his mental workout on the microphone. Buy a ticket to the show, get local accommodation, and stay in town on Saturday for an entire day and night of spoken word events.

Friday, April 8th, 2022
Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Concert Starts: 8:00 pm
Doors Open: 7:00 pm
 
Ticket Prices: $29.50 - $49.50
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005B3E8E6BB1D9
 
More info:
https://www.historiccoastculture.com/event/henry-rollins-good-to-see-you-2022/

FRIDAY, APRIL 8th: OPEN MIC KICK-OFF
On Friday, April 8, a festival kick-off open mic is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. at Relampago Coffee Lab, 74 Spanish Street. Sign up sheet out at 6:30 p.m. On April 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., book talks, author presentations, a marketplace, and an open mic marathon will take place Markland, the Crisp-Ellert Museum, and Jay’s Place Outdoor patio. The festival will conclude with four featured readers at 3:30 p.m. in the Ringhaver Student Center, second floor, Virginia Room. Admission is free. 

SATURDAY APRIL 9th: FULL DAY SCHEDULE
Alumni House Labyrinth Stage
Behind Alumni House at 48 Sevilla Street
08:00 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.

Start your PoetFest journey with this mini-meditation and workshop. Bring an open mind and heart, along with paper and pen. Yoga instructor, and Ancient City Poet, Annie Kiyonaga will lead this labyrinth walk to inspire connection and creativity.

Markland House Stage
(102 King Street)
10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.

Flagler College English Department – featured student readings
Ainsley Berg, Colleen Murphy, Kailey Tucker, Marysa Tuttle

11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Featured faculty poets presented by Flagler College English Department
Stephen Kampa, David Moody, Lauren Tivey

12 noon to 1:10 p.m. - ​ closed for lunch.

1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Exploring Ecopoetics: Finding Your Place in Nature
Intro to Poetry in Nature workshop with Prof. Ben Atkinson
Presented by Flagler College English Department

2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Playwriting Spotlight: Dramatic reading of a portion of Philip Butera’s play, The Apparition
Facilitated by Amy Goldin from A Classic Theatre
Presented by Flagler College English Department

Crisp-Ellert Art Museum Stage (48 Sevilla Street)

10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
Storytelling Showcase for Children
Facilitated by Chris Kastle from the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine
Natalie Beltrami, Chris Kastle, Kathy Kniery, David Pitts, Marianne Stein, and Debra Weller

11:00 to 11:50 a.m.
Create Change with Poetry – panel discussion
Chris Bodor, a founding member of Ancient City Poets, will lead a panel on changing the world with words.
Panel: Jennifer Wolfe, Melody Dimick, and Mike Zone

12 noon to 1:10 p.m. - ​ closed for lunch.

1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Literary Cities and the Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate for Volusia County, Dr. David B. Axelrod, will speak on the role of the Poet Laureate and their place in the local community.

2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Diversity Dialogue – panel discussion
St. Augustine poet Jamie Lynn Stanish and Jacksonville poet Princess Simpson Rachid will lead a discussion about safe spaces and inclusion in literature, drawing from their work and the works of others.

OPEN MIC MARATHON
Outdoor courtyard that connects Markland House with the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum.

10:10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Open mic featuring a different host each hour.

10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Alachua County showcase facilitated by Nicole Goff from Mossman Hall

11:10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Volusia County showcase hosted by Dr. David B. Axelrod, Volusia County Poet Laureate.

12 noon to 1:10 p.m. - ​ closed for lunch.

1:10 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Duval County showcase hosted by Johnny Masiulewicz from Happy Tapir Press

2:10 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
St. Johns County scene showcase hosted by Robert Waldner,
including thank-you speeches and recognitions

FEATURED READING SPOTLIGHT-FOUR VOICES - 3:30 P.M.
Virginia Room Stage (Ringhaver Student Center, 2nd FL, 50 Sevilla Street)
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A Collection of Voices – Four Featured Readers
Chris Bodor (Florida), Jamie Lynn Stanish (Flagler College, 2008), Mike Zone (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Damian Rucci (Long Branch, New Jersey). Followed by book signing and meet-and-greet.

REGISTRATION, AUTHOR BOOK TABLE WITH SIGNINGS, AND FESTIVAL CONTACT CENTER
9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Ringhaver Student Center, 1st Floor, in Jay’s Place
50 Sevilla Street

2:30 to 5:00 p.m
Author Book Signing Table moves upstairs to inside the Virginia Room

A WHOLE MONTH OF EVENTS
The whole area is getting in on the celebration, in addition to the inaugural St. Augustine PoetFest. Here is a sampling of local poetry events scheduled for this month:

Saturday, April 9th
Underground Sounds Spotlight Night at Shanghai Nobby's (10 Anastasia Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080)
Presented by Dumpster Fire Press (Grand Rapids, MI), Richard Lepre, and Ancient City Poets
Cover Charge: $5 goes to performers
First act: 7 pm / Doors open: 6 pm
Featuring Outsider Poet Wayne Mason (Lakeland, FL) at 7:00 p.m.

Wayne Mason feature, followed by local music and poetry by Chelsea Saddler, Kevin PM, Cory Chavis, Valerie Currie, and Thomas Mckelvey. Wayne Mason is an experimental writer and sound artist from central Florida. His poetry and prose have been published widely in the small press both in print and online.

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH PROCLIMATIONS

* Poetry Month Proclamation (St. Johns County)
5:00 p.m. Monday, April 11, 2022
The Alcazar Room on the first floor of City Hall, located at 75 King Street, St. Augustine FL.
The City of St. Augustine Commissioners proclaim Poetry Month in the City of St. Augustine.
Chris Bodor, a founding member of the Ancient City Poets, will accept the proclamation sponsored by Commissioner Rozanne Horvath. Meeting are open to the public.

* Poetry Month Proclamation (City of St. Augustine)
9:00 am Tuesday, April 19, 2022
County Administration Building, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine FL.
The Board of County Commissioners proclaim Poetry Month in St. Johns County.
Dr. Ann Browning Masters, a founding member of the Ancient City Poets, will accept the proclamation sponsored by Commissioner Henry Dean. Meeting are open to the public.

LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH OPEN MIC - APRIL 24, 2022
National Poetry Month Open Mic
Outdoor Art Patio at 137 King Street, in the San Sebastian Art District
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Experience the spoken word scene with Ancient City Poets, at St. Johns County’s longest-running monthly poetry reading series. Poets and poetry lovers have been gathering in St. Augustine, on the last Sunday of every month since August 2009. Sign-up sheet is available at 2:30 p.m. Emcee Michael Henry Lee will call up the first 15 readers from the sign-up sheet, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Please limit each presentation to five minutes.

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
So many memories on our official channel. Please like, and share videos that you enjoy. Also, please subscribe to the channel so that you can get updates and notifications when new footage is uploaded. Here is the link to our channel.
​
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-q1EFSh27tyqmGpiSAu4Vw

Respectfully,

Chris Bodor
Ancient City Poets / Poet Plant Press

​THEME: "Love is a Battlefield" ​
​
Share two or three of your polished poems or bust out some fresh ink from your notebook during Saint Augustine, Florida's longest running open mic poetry event. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on.

If you would like to share a poem, please let us know through the "Contact US" section of this website.

We will email you the Zoom Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have space on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each.

Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list. This month's reading will be facilitated by Kendal Schmidt.

Since Valentine's Day falls in the middle of the calendar, February is known as a month to celebrate love. The truth is, relationships are a rollercoaster, filled with good times, and bad times. Pop music lyrics tell us many different messages: Love is a battlefield, love is the drug, love is like oxygen, and love stinks. In your opinion, what is love, anyway? The writing prompt is just a suggestion, and you are free to follow it or not. What is important , is that we get to know you and your creative words.

At 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, February 27 the FB Live feed for this reading will appear on the following site:

www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

Ancient City Poets have been gathering for free open mic poetry readings on the last Sunday of each month, since August of 2009.

​ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Three years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Click on the link below to see Jonie McIntire's interview from the January 2022 open mic reading.

​The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on Sunday October 31st from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at Kookaburra Coffee (Dondanville Road, 4265 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL).

This month's reading is our Scary Literary Come in Costume reading. Books by local authors will be given in three categories: best literary costume, most creative, and best teen costume.

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. Readers will be called to the podium in the order their names appear on the list. The mic will be turned off at 4:30 to allow the last 30 minutes for a meet and greet and networking.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE ANCIENT CITY POETS
As a community of poets and poetry lovers, we have been gathering on the last Sunday of the month in Saint Augustine, Florida since August of 2009. If you have ever gone to one of our monthly readings over the last nine years, you should Invite your friends to come and check it out. Just go to the event link and click that you are interested or attending. Also invite a few friends while you are at it.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
In order to keep these gatherings free of charge, we do ask that you patronize the Kookaburra and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art. Their full menu will be available during the event so please come prepared to buy an Aussie treat, or a coffee beverage

EVENT Number One - SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL

​
ANCIENT CITY POETS SHOWCASE
FOLLOWED BY A POETRY OPEN MIC
at the Sing Out Loud Festival 

Saturday, September 11
7:00pm (6:00pm Doors)

Location:
Art Studio of St. Augustine Beach

Featuring emcee Ben Atkinson and poets Cassandra DeGraff, Colleen Jones, Tonn Pastore, Princess Simpson Rashid, Jamie Lynn Stanish, Robert Waldner, and Lee Weaver.

Open Mic begins at 8:00pm. Sign up sheet for open mic will be out at 6:00 pm on the day of the performance.

Times and lineup are subject to change.

More info on festival's official website:
https://www.singoutloudfestival.com/event/ancient-city-poets-showcase-poetry-open-mic/​


EVENT Number Two - LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH OPEN MIC

The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on Sunday September 26th from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at Kookaburra Coffee (Dondanville Road, 4265 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL).

All are encouraged to share poems that relate to positive change in our community and the world that we live in as we observe 100 Thousand Poets for Change Day.

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. Readers will be called to the podium in the order their names appear on the list. The mic will be turned off at 4:30 to allow the last 30 minutes for a meet and greet and networking. This month's reading will be facilitated by Johnny Masiulewicz from Happy Tapir Press.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE ANCIENT CITY POETS
As a community of poets and poetry lovers, we have been gathering on the last Sunday of the month in Saint Augustine, Florida since August of 2009. If you have ever gone to one of our monthly readings over the last nine years, you should Invite your friends to come and check it out. Just go to the event link and click that you are interested or attending. Also invite a few friends while you are at it.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
In order to keep these gatherings free of charge, we do ask that you patronize the Kookaburra and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art. Their full menu will be available during the event so please come prepared to buy an Aussie treat, or a coffee beverage.

MORE ABOUT 100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE
You can be an agent of change with your written words. This is the idea behind 100 Thousand Poets for Change, a grassroots organization now in its ninth year that brings communities together to call for environmental, social, and political change within the framework of peace and sustainability.

Join us on Sunday September 26th for St. Augustine, Florida’s official observation of the global event that will feature more than 500 gatherings this September.

Supporting words from Michael Rothenberg
co-founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change:
“Peace and sustainability are major concerns worldwide, and the guiding principles for this global event. We are in a world where it isn't just one issue that needs to be addressed. A common ground is built through this global compilation of local stories, which is how we create a true narrative for discourse to inform the future.

For the past 11 years thousands of poets around the world, poets in over 100 countries and hundreds of cities have gathered on the last Saturday of September each year to celebrate poetry, and to declare a shared belief that poetry can move us towards a world of peace, justice and sustainability. It has been a honor to be a part of this vast and dedicated community of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Together we have been through many sad and disappointing days but we persist together, because we have each other, and poetry."

For more 100 Thousand Poets for Change info, go to www.100tpc.org

READING LOCATION

​MAP IT
Kookaburra — Dondanville (Across from Ocean Village) 4265 A1A South, St Augustine, 32080
(904) 209-9391

Their full menu will be available during the event, so please get familiar with their menu and come prepared to support them by buying a sweet treat, an Aussie snack, coffee, or a refreshing drink.
https://thekookaburracoffee.com/menu

​ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Three years ago in April, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Thanks to Zoom we have some amazing recordings from the last year.  Here is the direct link to the August reading at Kookaburra - our 12 year celebration.
​