Sundress Academy of the Arts Presents Big Ears Special Reading

The Sundress Academy for the Arts is pleased to announce the guests for the March installment of our reading series, poets Joey Gould and Lenna Mendoza. Join us on Thursday, March 21st at South Press Coffee from 6:00-8:00 PM for a reading followed by an open mic hosted by Shlagha Borah. Sign-up for the open mic begins at 6 PM sharp and is limited to 10-12 readers.

Joey Gould, whose poetry explores faith, grief, longing, birds, & human connection, is SAFTA Spring ’24 Writer in Residence. They wrote The Acute Avian Heart (2019, Lily Poetry Review) & Penitent > Arbiter (2022, Lily Poetry Review), while their recent work has appeared in Meow Meow Pow Pow, Miniskirt Magazine, & beestung. They also serve as Poetry Editor for Drunk Monkeys. They have aided in the planning & execution of both the Massachusetts & New York City Poetry Festivals, while also performing as Izzy Hexxam in the Boston cast of Poetry Society of New York’s Poetry Brothel. Joey writes on location at cool-sounding places like Skunk’s Misery, Mount Desert, and Half Moon Beach.

Lenna Mendoza is a poet from Texas. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Foglifter, Salamander, Four Way Review, and Salt Hill Journal. She currently lives in Oxford, Mississippi, where she is an MFA candidate at the University of Mississippi.

This event is brought to you in part by grants provided by The Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

While this is a free event, donations can be made to the Sundress Academy for the Arts here.

Each month we split donations with our community partner. Our community partner for March is Mountain Brigade Access. Mountain Access Brigade is a volunteer-run organization that provides secure and stigma-free support, education, and advocacy for individuals seeking abortion care in Tennessee. Currently, Mountain Access Brigade is fundraising for abortion access in Tennessee. To support their campaign, visit here!