Marin Poetry Center

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Marin Poetry Center

Marin Poetry Center Our Mission is to nurture poetry in the Bay Area.

We believe in the power of poetry to bear witness, reach hearts and souls, teach compassion, empathy and justice, and create a common language towards positive social change. We will continue ongoing efforts to diversify our programming, reach out to underrepresented communities for new members and audience, and support local charitable organizations. Additionally, starting now we intend to apply

the lens of anti-racism to our internal practices, policies and programming with a goal towards increasing diversity and inclusivity in all areas.

06/29/2026

Marin County Fair Youth Poetry Reading 2026
Wednesday July 1 at 2:15- 3 pm
Marin Center Showcase Theater
10 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael CA 94903

The 2026-2027 Marin Youth Poet Laureate cohort and special guest youth poets share original poetry at the Marin County Fair's Story Stage. Emceed by YPL Coordinator Maxine Flasher-Düzgüneş.

Please note: Attendees must purchase a ticket at the gate in order to enter the fairgrounds, including the Showcase Theatre. On Wednesday, July 1, anyone qualifying for FREE admission (ages 12 and under, ages 65 and older, and veterans with ID) does not need a ticket.

05/27/2026

Sound Bath at Marin MOCA
Thursday, May 28 7:00-9:00pm
1210 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA

Take a break and immerse yourself in a relaxing, sensory experience and live poetry reading.

Respond to poems by the Marin Youth Poet Laureate & Ambassadors, composed especially for the exhibition The Shape of Thought, and settle to experience your whole body becoming a receiver, soaking up deep, healing sound waves from bowls and gongs that slow your brain into a dreamy, floaty state where stress just melts away.

RSVP: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/wcykpvf

05/26/2026

The Marin Poetry Center presents the winners of the 2026 High School Poetry Contest!

3rd place winner, Oli Siva from Ruth Asawa School of the Arts with her poem “mange”

Also thank you to our judge, Kehinde Badiru, for his generous praise of each poem.

There is a strong syntactic choice being made in Oli Siva’s “mange.” Beyond the lyricism and strong narrative, this poem is an archetype of feminine agency and freedom from societal constraints. It captures love as a subject that can both terrify and transcend human souls at the same time. It asks: how far, all the sacrifices.What’s more to love?What’s more to leave?What else has not been said?What’s left to be undone?

~ Kehinde Badiru, Judge of 2026 MPC High School Poetry Contest

Join us for an evening of inspiration and celebration at the 2026 High School Anthology Launch on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:45pm at Guzman Hall, Dominican University, San Rafael.

05/23/2026

The Marin Poetry Center presents the winners of the 2026 High School Poetry Contest!

2nd place winner, Vera Woo from The Branson School with her poem “What you choose to see”

Also thank you to our judge, Kehinde Badiru, for his generous praise of each poem.

Many poems exemplified skill in poetic technique, but Vera Woo’s “What you choose to see” earned a top spot in the limelight. I chose this poem for how it exhibits contrasts as a lens for processing memory and nostalgia. Repetition and its language-pairing were a strong suit, and the line breaks were intentional rather than spontaneous. It reflects on nationality and the American rhetoric of identity and the freedom of choice.

~ Kehinde Badiru, Judge of 2026 MPC High School Poetry Contest

Join us for an evening of inspiration and celebration at the 2026 High School Anthology Launch on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:45pm at Guzman Hall, Dominican University, San Rafael.

05/19/2026

The Marin Poetry Center presents the winners of the 2026 High School Poetry Contest!

1st place winner, Julianna Calahong-Zamora from El Cerrito High School with their poem “When I Thought I Was Loveable” .big.jooce

Also thank you to our judge, Kehinde Badiru, for his generous praise of each poem.

I selected Julianna Calahong-Zamora’s “When I Thought I Was Lovable” for its clarity, originality of not just language but thought, and how the narrator carries the reader through and through in a picturesque way. As a reader, I was intrigued by the larger picture of yearning, of a narrator seeking answers for a world (or human consciousness, if you will) that presents more questions. Courage and specificity thrive here.
~ Kehinde Badiru, Judge of 2026 MPC High School Poetry Contest

Join us for an evening of inspiration and celebration at the 2026 High School Anthology Launch on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:45pm at Guzman Hall, Dominican University, San Rafael.

05/14/2026

2026 High School Anthology Launch
Wednesday, May 27 at 6:45pm
Guzman Hall, Dominican University
50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901

Join us for an evening of inspiration and celebration at the 2026 High School Anthology Launch, hosted by Marin’s 3rd Youth Poet Laureate & Ambassadors, and the MFA Creative Writing Program at Dominican University. Come together to celebrate the power of poetry and support talented young poets!

Complimentary treats & beverages and anthologies for sale.

No registration required.

04/08/2026

We invite you to celebrate the inauguration of Marin’s 2026-2027 Youth Poet Laureate and Poet Laureate Ambassadors!

Enjoy readings of original work by past and present Youth Poet Laureates, youth poets representing high schools throughout the Bay Area, and special guests.

Registration required: https://millvalleylibrary.libcal.com/event/16353390 (link in bio)

The Youth Poet Laureate Program is a 1-year stipend-funded position for candidates ages 13 to 19 who currently reside in Marin County and demonstrate a passion for poetry, community, and social change. Youth Poet Laureates represent and celebrate the richly diverse communities of Marin County telling their stories and shaping the future narratives of communities to which they belong.

This program is made possible by CaliforniaPoetsintheSchools in conjunction with Marin County Free Library, Marin Charitable, Marin Poetry Center, The Mill Valley Library and Urban Word.

03/13/2026

Join us for a day of writing and inspiration.
Event Title: Creative Writing Retreat
Date: Saturday, March 21
Time: 10:00am- 4:30pm
Location: In-person at Dominican University of CA
Join us for our Spring Creative Writing Retreat. Dominican MFA writing mentors will lead workshops in fiction, essay, memoir, and poetry. This retreat has a new format that offers extended time in small group workshops in both the morning and the afternoon as well as group journal writing, a nature walk, and a keynote lecture with Savala Nolan, author of Good Woman, A Reckoning.

Registration
The registration fee is $160 and includes lunch. Scholarships are available if the registration fee is a barrier to your participation. Special pricing is also available for MFA students and alumni. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Advanced registration is required. Cancellations with a full refund can be made until two days prior to the event.
For information about the Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing at Dominican, visitdominican.edu/mfa

MPC Members receive a 20% with code: MPCDISCOUNT
Students/low-income individuals receive free registration with code: MFASTUDENT

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-writing-retreat-in-person-at-dominican-march-21-2026-tickets-1983895162837?aff=oddtdtcreator

Address

Mill Valley, CA

Website

http://www.marinpoetrycenter.org/

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