Open Mic Poetry Night: Celebrate Harvesting, Abundance, Transformation

Join Woodbury’s Poet Laureate Sandy Carlson and guests for an evening filled with poetry and prose.
Featured poets are Julie Cook and Betty Lou Bowles of Woodbury, Faith Vicinanza of Southbury, and Karen J. Ciosek of Wallingford. Julie Cook has been a music educator for more than 30 years. A published poet and fiction writer, she also composes songs and choral works. Cook is a Music for People certified improvisation facilitator who fosters creativity and wellness through the arts.
Betty Lou Bowles has enjoyed taking pictures of nature since she acquired her first smartphone. She says she is grateful for the opportunity to share her work and hopes to be an inspiration for others to seek and share their own voices.
Faith Vicinanza has been deeply involved in Connecticut poetry for years and has published widely. Currently she is Poet Laureate of Southbury.
Karen J. Ciosek is a retired teacher who lives in Wallingford. She leads a poetry group at the Wallingford Public Library on Saturday mornings and is a member of the Connecticut Poetry Society. She workshops with poets in Les Jardin de Poetsie and in a Sunday Ladies group. She earned her MFA from Southern Connecticut State University in 2020. She published the chapbook Navigating the Poet’s Sky with Antrim House in 2022.
Following the featured poets, others will be invited to the microphone to share poetry or prose about harvesting, abundance, transformation. Guests are welcome to share their own work or the work of a favorite writer. All are welcome to join this literary celebration.