Featured Guest Readers
​Alameda Island Poets ~ Wednesday, December 4 ~ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ~ On Zoom
Featured readers: Louise Moises and Norma Smith
Louise Moises
Louise Moises is a Bay Area native, a graduate of San Jose State, and an award-winning poet. Through her rich eighty years she has been a teacher, puppeteer, retail clerk and the owner of an antiquarian bookshop. Louise began writing poetry seven years ago as a means of grieving. She has since explored many other themes and is especially inspired by traveling around our country as she drives her 23-foot RV accompanied by her cat. A performance-poet, she has given workshops on enhancing poetry performance under the title Making Your Poetry Zing! Her featured readings are available on YouTube. Louise’s poems appear in numerous anthologies including High Shelf Press, California Quarterly, Benicia Literary Arts, The Avocet, Tiny Seed, Wingless Dreamer, et al. She is a board member of the Ina Coolbrith Circle, the oldest poetry society in the state. Her first chapbook Peace Is a Pelican is available from Finishing Line Press, Amazon and signed copies by emailing Louise here!
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Norma Smith
Norma Smith was born in Detroit and grew up in the Central Valley of California. She has lived in the East Bay for more than half a century. She has worked as a hospital clerk, journalist, translator-interpreter, community scholar-educator, event and conference organizer, and as an editor, writing coach, and workshop facilitator. Norma holds a B.A. in Creative Writing, an M.A. in Education with a Special Focus on Equity Issues; and a Ph.D. in Ethnic & Cultural Studies. Her writing has been published in literary, political, and scholarly journals. Norma’s book of poems, HOME REMEDY, is available here at