Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center

Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest — Reading & Reception
2026-05-20 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Queen Bean Coffee House, 1126 14th St, Modesto, CA, 95354, United States
Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest — Reading & Reception
You’re invited to a poetry reading to celebrate the publication of Woven Words, an anthology of short poems featuring the work of Stanislaus County youth poets.
Hosted by Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff
📅 Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | 5:30 PM 📍 Queen Bean Coffeehouse 1126 14th St., Modesto, CA 95350

About the Program
The Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate program is administered by Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center (MoSt Poetry) with partners MJC Library & Learning Center & MJC School of Language Arts & Education, Stanislaus County Office of Education, Stanislaus County Library, and Stanislaus Library Foundation.

Second Tuesday Poetry: Brad Buchanan and Paloma Contreras
2026-06-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Bookish Modesto, 811 W. Roseburg Ave, Modesto, CA, 95350, United States
Second Tuesday Poetry
An Evening of Poetry featuring Brad Buchanan & Paloma Contreras
Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Time: 7:00 pm | Doors open 6:30 pm Location: Bookish Modesto Admission: Free and open to the public Refreshments available for purchase.
BRAD BUCHANAN
Brad Buchanan is a retired English professor and poet laureate–endorsed writer who earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and chaired the English Department at Sacramento State University. His poetry, fiction, and scholarly articles have appeared in more than 200 journals, and his first two poetry collections received Writer’s Digest awards. A two-time blood cancer survivor and stem cell transplant recipient, he is the author of eight books, including a medical memoir and four collections of poetry. His latest poetry collection, Birds of Poverty Ridge, was published by Finishing Line Press earlier this year. His website is bradthechimera.com.

PALOMA CONTRERAS

Paloma Contreras is a young poet who loves reading and teaching adults. She is currently studying for a graduate degree in Translation to translate written art for a living. Paloma is a member of the Stanislaus Grito de Mujer® team. Grito de Mujer is an international, United Nations-supported month-long program of readings, art events, and workshops to raise awareness of gender-equity issues.

Second Tuesday Poetry featuring Mai-Linh Hong and Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco
2026-07-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Bookish Modesto, 811 W. Roseburg Ave, Modesto, CA, 95350, United States
MAI-LING HONG
Mai-Linh Hong is a Vietnamese American refugee poet and literary scholar. Her debut poetry collection, Continental Drift, won the 2025 Trio Award and was published by Trio House Press in July 2026. Her poems appear or are forthcoming in Waxwing, Ploughshares, Copper Nickel, Wildness, Beloit Poetry Journal, The Maine Review, and elsewhere. She publishes essays on Asian American and refugee literature in scholarly journals and anthologies. A lifelong crafter, she is coauthor and coeditor of The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Racial Justice (University of California Press, 2021). She teaches literature at the University of California, Merced.

ELIZABETH MCMUNN-TETANGCO
Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco lives in California’s Central Valley and co-edits One Sentence Poems and First Frost. She also works as a librarian at UC Merced. Her work has appeared in many online and print journals, and her most recent book, Salt Shaker Girls, is available through Cuttlefish Books.
