What we’re about
Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience.
In furtherance of our mission, we offer programs and services to stimulate passion for the literary arts and to inspire and support emerging and established writers. All programs center the literary arts, particularly poetry, without prejudice to any specific tradition. We celebrate all poetry traditions and collaborate with other organizations to co-sponsor programming in our endeavor to bring poetry to multiple communities in San José to ensure that these programs and services reflect the diversity of our community and to involve people from a wide range of backgrounds as audience and members. The majority of our programs are free, open to the public and offer aspiring poets the opportunity to share their work during the open mic segment of the event.
Every PCSJ team member follows the organization's core values and principles of service, including respect, trust, stewardship, joy in service, and excellence. Our events are safe spaces of sharing and compassion for our membership and general community.
Upcoming events
11
- $20.00
Tiny Room Poetry Series feat. Biala, Mikell, Jackson and D. Muhammad
SJZ Break Room, 310 South First Street, San Jose, CA, USTiny Room Poetry Series | Special Edition
Join us for an intimate evening of poetry and music featuring some of the Bay Area’s and LA’s premier artists. This special edition offers a rare chance to connect with poets and musicians up close, meet fellow lovers of the art, and experience a vibrant local space in a fresh new way.With performances by Arlene Biala, Tureeda Mikell, Destiny Muhammad, and Dr. Donny Jackson, the night also celebrates the release of Tshaka Campbell’s newest collection, BLOOD AT THE ROOT”: An nkisi (El Martillo Press). The book is a lyrical meditation on fatherhood, ancestry, and identity—blending memory and history to confront trauma and resilience while affirming love as the force that carries us forward.
🎥 Watch the deep dive podcast: Blood at the Root Discussion***
Tiny Room Poetry Series features an inspiring lineup:
Arlene Biala
POET, AUTHOR, PERFORMANCE ARTIST, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Arlene Biala is a Filipina American writer from the San Francisco Bay Area who has been participating in poetry performances and workshops for over 30 years. She is a 2023-2026 Lucas Artist Residency Fellow in Literary Arts at the Montalvo Arts Center and was Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2016 and 2017. She is the author of continental drift, one inch punch, and her beckoning hands, which won the 2015 American Book Award. Her latest book, a thousand voices whispering, is forthcoming from Sampaguita Press in November 2025.***
Tureeda ‘Ture Ade’ Mikell
Tureeda 'Ture Ade' Mikell is a UCB Bay Area Writing Project Fellow 1996, an award winning poet, Black Panther Party Alum, she has either performed, or her work has traveled to South Africa, to Egypt, UK, China, Turkey, Mexico, and Switzerland.
Mikell served or has read as Poet in Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora, Oakland Museum, Randall Museum, San Jose Museum of Art Invitational, DeYoung Museum, and Goldengate Academy of Sciences. Anthologized in Poetry is Bread, (2025 Nirala Publications, India, Tina Cane, Editor) Mikell is author of Synchronicity: The Oracle of Sun Medicine (2020, Nomadic Press) nominated for the California Book Award, and The Body: Oracle of Memory (2024, Black Lawrence Press, NY.)
Mikell received Berkeley Poetry Festival's 2024 LifeTime Achievement Award, as a story medicine woman, nature’s child, an activist for holism hell bent on asserting life. Mikell can be found on, LinkIn, Instagram, or tureedamikell.com***
Destiny Muhammad
Destiny Muhammad is a Recording/Performing Artist | Band Leader |Composer & Producer. Her genre is cool and eclectic with a feel of Jazz & Storytelling to round out thesonic experience. Destiny collaborations, curations and commissioning include: Grace Cathedral Christmas Concert Series Stanford Jazz Festival featured Artist, Santa Cruz Symphony Recital Series, a San Jose Jazz Fest JazzAid Commissioned Artist, Guest/ Collaborator with Composer Marcus Shelby for Zaccho Dance ‘The Peoples Palace’ and featured on KQED Podcast & Sunday Music Drop
Destiny is an Elected Governor of the The Recording Academy, San Francisco Chapter, SFJAZZ, Teaching Artist, ASCAP, Songwriter Awardee, Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke
Foundation Performance Plus Awardee and California Arts Council Legacy Fellow***
Dr Donny Jackson
Dr. Donny Jackson
A staple of the poetry community, Donny Jackson also holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, and is a director and multiple Emmy-winning documentary television producer. As a spoken word artist, Donny has performed and featured throughout North America, including at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café, and venues in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, California, and Toronto. Donny has released four poetry albums: boy, girl, he / him, and fatherly. His debut volume of poetry, boy, was published by Silver Star Laboratory in February 2020, and his most recent book, toward the sun: love haiku, was released in February 2024.***
Blood at the Root cover
Tshaka Campbell is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored four books of poetry entitled “TARMAN”, “MUTED WHISPERS”, “STUFF, I will write more”, “TUNNEL VISION'' and is latest book published by El Martilo press entitled “BLOOD AT THE ROOT. ” His words have been featured in Bridges Review, BBC UK, Content magazine, Speakeasy vol 1, Liminal Animals, Rigorous magazine, among others. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the De young museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, as well sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature. He has 4 spoken word albums entitled "ONE", “BLOODLINES”, "SKIN vol.1"; and his most recent release "NKISI" is currently available on all streaming platforms.1 attendee
Past events
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Organizers
Members
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