The Humble Poets' Open Mic will be at The Stacks Coffeehouse on the last Sunday of each month, 4:00-6:00pm.

The featured readers for June are Valentina Ortiz and Alan Rose.

We are encouraging poets and storytellers to come share their works, and musical accompaniments are welcome as well. The address is 1831 N. Killingsworth (between Interstate and Denver). And even though poets are generally quite wealthy, this event will be free, with only a suggested donation for those who can. Hope to see you all there!

Valentina Ortiz is a storyteller from Mexico. Valentina Ortiz speaks the stories of ancient and modern Mexico. She has traveled many countries with her work, taking the Latin American traditions to audiences young and adult. Her stories are entertaining, full of hope, a window into the daily life of the people of Mexico. She moves comfortably from myth to the personal story, from folktale to her voice about migration. She loves to play with the diversity of languages, Spanish, English, French and the ancient Mexican indigenous voices. To her flow in stories, she adds her skills as a longtime professional drummer and singer. She is recognized for her workshops in Universities and Community Centers as well as for leading rhythm and storytelling residencies for children of all ages. She published 4 books and produced 4 records of her original stories and music. She has a Bachelor´s Degree from Barnard College in New York and a Masters in Arts Management from Mexican Metropolitan University UAM; in 2018, she received the Teacher´s College (Columbia University) Certificate for Teaching of the Arts.

Alan E. Rose worked with the Victorian AIDS Council in Melbourne, Australia, during the 1980s, and then with Cascade AIDS Project in Portland from 1993-99. These experiences formed the basis for his novel about the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned. Hailed “as heartwarming and hope-giving as it is heartbreaking” by Foreword Reviews, it received the Foreword INDIES (small independent publishers) Book of the Year Award (LGBT category) and was featured in the Oregon Historical Society’s “Forty Years of HIV/AIDS in Oregon” exhibit.  The author of two other novels, Alan also coordinates WordFest, a monthly gathering of writers and readers in southwest Washington, and reviews books for The Columbia River Reader. He can be reached at www.alan-rose.com.

Valentina Ortiz

Alan Rose