Featured Readers
First Wednesday, September 6 ~ Alameda Island Poets on Zoom
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Cathy Dana and Kimi Sugioka
Featured readers: Jen Siraganian and Deborah Tash and our youth poet, Miranda Massie
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Cathy Dana and Kimi Sugioka
Featured readers: Jen Siraganian and Deborah Tash and our youth poet, Miranda Massie

Jen Siraganian
Los Gatos Poet Laureate, Jen Siraganian, is a writer, educator, and literary organizer. She has served as Managing Director for Litquake: San Francisco’s Literary Festival, been nominated for a Ruth Lilly Fellowship and a Pushcart Prize, earned scholarships from Community of Writers and Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, has been featured in San Francisco Chronicle, The Mercury News, and NPR’s KALW, and authored a poetry chapbook titled “Fracture.” Her writing has appeared in Best New Poets, Cream City Review, Mid-American Review, Smartish Pace, Barrow Street, Southwest Review, Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women and Place, and other literary journals and anthologies.
Los Gatos Poet Laureate, Jen Siraganian, is a writer, educator, and literary organizer. She has served as Managing Director for Litquake: San Francisco’s Literary Festival, been nominated for a Ruth Lilly Fellowship and a Pushcart Prize, earned scholarships from Community of Writers and Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, has been featured in San Francisco Chronicle, The Mercury News, and NPR’s KALW, and authored a poetry chapbook titled “Fracture.” Her writing has appeared in Best New Poets, Cream City Review, Mid-American Review, Smartish Pace, Barrow Street, Southwest Review, Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women and Place, and other literary journals and anthologies.

Deborah K. Tash
Deborah K. Tash is a visual artist and poet who grew up in Alameda and now lives in San Francisco. Her poetry is "dream and moon touched," exploring a variety of subjects; memories, nature, erotica, spirituality/Shamanism, her Mestiza background and childhood trauma in several forms. Free form was the beginning followed with sextets, Haiku and recently other Japanese inspired forms including
Tanka, Solo Renga, Haibun and the 1300 year old Naga Uta form predating Haiku. Deborah’s work has been included in anthologies and won awards.
The discussion group Poets of the Vineyard has broadened her knowledge of the craft of poetry writing and sharpened her skills as a poet. She self-publishes the quarterly poetry compendium Voice Of The Poet In Troubled Times. During the pandemic lockdown in 2020, Deborah published four books of art and poetry. Her books, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, include: Inspired By The Tides, Voice Of The Poet In Troubled Times, Soft Power/Reclaiming The Sacred Cunt Project and Harvesting The Moon. You can also see her visual art on www.inherimagestudio.com.
Deborah K. Tash is a visual artist and poet who grew up in Alameda and now lives in San Francisco. Her poetry is "dream and moon touched," exploring a variety of subjects; memories, nature, erotica, spirituality/Shamanism, her Mestiza background and childhood trauma in several forms. Free form was the beginning followed with sextets, Haiku and recently other Japanese inspired forms including
Tanka, Solo Renga, Haibun and the 1300 year old Naga Uta form predating Haiku. Deborah’s work has been included in anthologies and won awards.
The discussion group Poets of the Vineyard has broadened her knowledge of the craft of poetry writing and sharpened her skills as a poet. She self-publishes the quarterly poetry compendium Voice Of The Poet In Troubled Times. During the pandemic lockdown in 2020, Deborah published four books of art and poetry. Her books, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, include: Inspired By The Tides, Voice Of The Poet In Troubled Times, Soft Power/Reclaiming The Sacred Cunt Project and Harvesting The Moon. You can also see her visual art on www.inherimagestudio.com.

Miranda Massie
Miranda Massie is a student at SJND and enjoys many forms of the creative arts, including poetry, drawing, and musical theater.
She especially enjoys writing about past events through the lens of the locations they took place in.
Miranda Massie is a student at SJND and enjoys many forms of the creative arts, including poetry, drawing, and musical theater.
She especially enjoys writing about past events through the lens of the locations they took place in.