On the 1/8/25 Edition of Dr Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Ariela Gittlen joins the show to speak on her recent publication in the New York Times’s Letter of Recommendation column. Gittlen reflects on her journey as an essay writer, while also mentioning that poetry has taught her that failure is imperative in the writing process. She then shares a poem titled, “I hope we can be friends.” The next guest on the show is Dan Kehew, who discusses his new Davis based storytelling group, “Stories & Fire.” He talks about the intentional space that the group will meet in, stating that he spent multiple years looking and crafting the right setting. The storytelling will occur around a fireplace, and little technology, emphasizing the importance of the speaker’s voice. The last guest on the show is Susie Meserve. She first outlines her bicoastal identity as a New-England born, East-Bay resident informs her writing identity, before discussing how being goal-oriented deters her from writer's block. Meserve then discusses the inauguration of her new writing class, Writing for Renewal, which focuses on getting writing routines established in the New Year. She then shares a poem “Bioluminescence.”

Ariela Gittlen is a poet, marketing, and creative strategist working out of Brooklyn, New York. Gittlen is a seasoned Art Director and Design Lead with more than eight years experience creating elevated branding and marketing design in the realms of wellness, food, art, and fashion. She is a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technolgy has articles published in the New York Times.

Dan Kehew is best known in Davis as leader of the California Bicycle Museum, the joint effort by UC Davis, the City of Davis, and community interests that brought the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame to Davis. Kehew was also an original member of the City of Davis Bicycle Advisory Commission and a graduate of UC Davis' King Hall School of Law. Dan currently works as a senior attorney for California's Department of Real Estate.

Susie Meserve grew up outside of Boston and was educated at Tufts university and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her poems have appeared in Indiana Review, Cimarron Review, Bateau, Gulf Coast, and others. Meserve works as a poet, educator, and creative coach. She is also the author of the chapbook Faith (Finishing Line Press) and lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and two young sons

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 1/1/25 Edition of Dr Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Poet Nicolette Daskalakis begins the episode recalling her time as a KDVS radio DJ, joining the station because of an interest in journalism and hosting a music show platforming underground 60s music. Daskalakis then shares how she chose to study film, as she viewed it as an amalgamation of many different art genres where she could employ her multimedia expertise. Daskalakis outlines some of her career work and the steps that led her to France before sharing two poems, “Aftermath” and “Everyday Fantasies.” Dorine Jennette is the next guest of the episode. Jennette leads a fascinating discussion about the mindset of writing poetry, stating she intentionally writes and thinks about writing poems, paying special attention to her surrounding world and unique authorly inclinations. She then shares two poems, “Disaster Zone” and “Spring Cleaning.”

Born in the fog of San Francisco, Nicolette Daskalakis is a poet, filmmaker, and multidisciplinary artist based in Paris. Her writing has been anthologized by HarperCollins, nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and published in numerous literary journals. Nicolette is the author of multiple poetry books, including Tell Me I'm Not On Fire (2024) and Portrait of Your Ex Assembling Furniture (2018). She holds a BA in Film & Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and an MFA from the institut supérieur des arts et du design de Toulouse.

Dorine Jennette is the author of Urchin to Follow. Her poetry and prose have appeared in journals such as the Colorado Review, Puerto del Sol, the New Orleans Review, and the Georgia Review. Originally from Seattle, she earned her MFA at New Mexico State University and her PhD at the University of Georgia. She lives with her family in Davis, California, where she is a writer and editor for The Doctors Company.

At our first Poetry Night of 2025, on January 2nd, we will feature the France-based poet Nicolette Daskalakis with Dorine Jennette, of Davis. We meet at 7 PM at the John Natsoulas Gallery.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.

On the 12/18/24 edition of Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:

Professor Oliver Jones joins Dr.Andy in a discussion about Christmas, family, artistry, and the best movies of 2024. Jones reiterates the importance of December in film culture, as many great movies tend to be released during the holiday seasons and before large film festivals. He shares that one of his favorite movies of the year, “Dìdi (弟弟),” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival among other great films. Jones outlines some similar themes between what he felt were the best films of the past year, before detailing some of his work critiquing high-budget and low-budget films alike. The next guest on the show, poet Katy Brown, opens describing some of her favorite nature spots in Yolo County. She talks about her love for birds, photography, and exploration. She then shares a poem, “Ah, The Life” before sharing details of her upcoming “Capturing Wakamatsu” event at the Georgetown Library, which she recently secured funding for.

Oliver Jones has a more than 25-year career working as a journalist for the top circulation magazines and highest readership websites, including a decade spent as a staff writer for People magazine. His expertise is in film, television, popular culture and the entertainment industry, as well as the history of Los Angeles’ underrepresented population and the city’s social justice movements. Since 2012, he has taught journalism and inclusion at Emerson College; he first taught for Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in the summer of 2022. Over the last five years, he has made the history and practice of film criticism a focus of his academic and professional work. He has written over 200 reviews for the New York Observer and is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Born and raised in Washington D.C., Jones has lived in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles since 2007.

Katy Brown is a local poet and photographer. She has won awards in The Ina Coolbrith Circle, California Federation of Chaparral Poets, and The International Dance Poetry competition. Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals such as but not limited to: Sutterville Review, Song of San Joaquin, Poetalk, Persimmon Tree, Harp Strings, And anthologies: Poeming Pigeons, Sacramento Voices, California Fire and Water, and The Ina Coolbrith Society’s Gathering anthologies. She is a three-time Pushcart nominee. Katy Brown also leads a quarterly “Capturing Wakamatsu” event featuring poetry and exploration of the historic American River Conservancy site with the help of Taylor Graham.

The Poetry Night Reading Series takes place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. The next poetry night on January 2nd 2025 will feature France-based poet Nicollete Daskalakis

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjone

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, visit his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andyojones.