Sonoma County Literary Update

Dear Literary Folk,

Fall has arrived with a heat wave followed by blessed rain. Fingers crossed, so far the fire season has not brought the kind of devastating fires we’ve experienced in the past, but even the smell of smoke this time of year, however innocent the source, can set our nerves on edge.

A good antidote to this kind of anxiety and its myriad sources is to gather with your fellow readers and writers for a live literary event. This month there are many to choose from.

Petaluma Library Re-Opening
Among the events worth celebrating is the recent re-opening of the Petaluma Regional Library on August 25. Following an extensive modernization that blends fresh, functional upgrades with the building’s classic charm, the renovated library will be open seven days a week and invites visitors to explore vibrant new spaces for children and teens, private study pods and updated amenities designed to make the library more welcoming and accessible.

Our Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter composed a poem for the occasion, which he has posted on the Poet Laureate News page for September 1. Check it out! socolitupdate.com/poet-laureates-news/laureate-archive-2024-2026

No Kings Protest on October 18
I was set to cap the upcoming No Kings day of protests and demonstrations with a Cat Stevens/Yusuf concert at the Masonic in San Francisco. If you came of musical age in the 60s and 70s, songs like “Katmandu,” “Peace Train,” “Father and Son,” “Wild World,” and “Moonshadow” were among the anthems of a generation. Then the news yesterday that the North American book and concert tour has been cancelled because Stevens, who is a British citizen and a Muslim, wasn’t able to secure a visa, though he started the process months ago and paid the hefty visa fee now required.

In so many ways, day in and day out, the lights in the house of our civil rights and civil democracy are going out. I hope many of you will come out to march against the current White House regime on Saturday, October 18. Indivisible Sonoma County will hold two marches and a big volunteer event. Take a long walk from the Junior College (the walk starts at 9 am from the campus on Mendocino). Take a shorter walk from Juilliard Park (the walk starts at 10 am. Both walks will meet on Sonoma Ave. and walk in to Doyle Park. If you don’t want to walk far, watch and cheer along the route and then join us at the park at 11 am.

There will be other marches and protests throughout the North Bay, including Sonoma, Petaluma, and Sebastopol. To find one in your community, check out this website: nokingsmovement.com/pages/no-kings-day-protest.

North Bay Print and Poetry Festival in Graton on October 4
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of North Bay Letterpress Arts at the North Bay Print and Poetry Festival Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10 am—6 pm at the Graton Town Square. Hosted by North Bay Letterpress Arts and ReVillage, this free, one-day event celebrates the power of the printed and spoken word. Featuring local vendors, food trucks, live poetry, music, and the signature Steamroller Print Event, the festival brings together printmakers, poets, and publishers for a vibrant day of community and creativity.

Event Schedule:
10:00 am – Gates Open
Vendors, artists, and printmaking in action all day

11:00 am–12:30 pm – Poetry Readings
Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter will launch the day, followed by readings by Iris Jamahl Dunkle, judi goldberg, Jodi Hottel, Diane Martin, Terry Ehret, Amanda Moore & Mira Rosenthal

1:00–2:30 pm – Live Music by Sakoyana

2:30–4:00 pm – Poetry Readings
Readings from VOLT Literary Magazine – Alex Mattraw, Erik Soto, Noah Ross, Stefan Kiesbye, Stefan Kiesbye, Domenic Stansberry, Gillian Conoley & erica lewis

4:00 pm – Print Features, Raffle, & MadLibs Poetry

4:30–6:00 pm – Live Music by Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes

Road Roller Printing and community art activities all day alongside the main stage program. Watch limited edition prints come to life under the paver, make your own posters and zines, print an exquisite corpse, and enter the MadLibs poetry contest!

Eight Stories in Eight Weeks with Ted Gross
Ted Gross is offering an Eight Stories in Eight Weeks group session beginning Sunday, October 5. He is in Sebastopol but the session is online — there is no charge. The idea is each week all the authors write a story based on the same one-sentence prompt, and we post them on a website. Bottom line, the authors end up with 8 short stories in 8 weeks. Suggested length is between 500 and 3500 words. There is no critique or discussion, just the stories. The first 8-week session just finished, and everyone had fun. Hopefully other Sonoma County storytellers might be interested in joining for the new session beginning Sunday. Here is a link to the website for more information or questions: storyauthors.com

Rivertown Poets Featured Readers Shawna Swetech and Nancy Dougherty
Monday, October 6, 6:00 p.m. Rivertown Poets live at the Aqus Cafe (189 H Street in Petaluma). Our features will be our own Rivertown co-host Shawna Swetech and Nancy Dougherty. Sign up for open mic at the cafe. One poem per reader. Please note new earlier start time.

Rattle Magazine’s Chapbook Contest and Upcoming Themed Issues
I will admit to having Rattle-acceptance envy. I have submitted my work to this terrific literary journal in the past, but haven’t been published there yet. But many of my friends have, and some are frequent contributors, which gives me hope. The latest call for submissions felt very welcoming and friendly, so I thought I’d pass these along to the literary community. First deadline is October 15; others are January 15. Check out the Rattle website for details: rattle.com/page/submissions or the Submittable page: rattle.submittable.com/submit. Good luck!

Tribute to Rebels
Deadline: October 15, 2025
Our Spring 2026 issue will be dedicated to literary rebels—those poets who run counter to the literary mainstream. What that means is up to you. We want to hear from poets who publish in non-traditional ways, who hold unusual beliefs, who write what isn’t popular, or feel that they don’t fit in. If you’ve been shunned or canceled by the establishment, this is a chance to tell your story. The poems may be any length or subject, but should be rebellious in some way. We no longer publish essays, but always include a contributor notes section, where we ask in this case why you consider yourself a rebel.

Submit up to four previously uncurated poems (or four pages of very short poems) at the same time, either in a single file or up to four files. Do not include your name or contact info within the file(s) content.

2026 Rattle Chapbook Prize
Deadline: January 15, 2026
The Rattle Chapbook Prize is back and as amazing as ever. Three winners receive $5,000 and 500 author copies—and one of those winners must be a poet who has never published a full-length book. As always, each chapbook will receive full distribution to all of our 10,000+ subscribers, too. It’s a contest to launch a career, and we get to publish a series of incredible books in the process

Tribute to Invented Forms
Deadline: January 15, 2026
The Summer 2026 issue will feature a Tribute to Invented Forms. We’re celebrating poetic forms that poets have created themselves—structures born of intuition, constraint, play, or rebellion. These might follow strict new rules or defy convention entirely. Whether you’re building a form around repetition, rhythm, shape, or sound, we want to see how you’re pushing poetry forward. Send us poems of any style or length—as long as the form is your own invention.

Kim Addonizio and D.A. Powell Guest Poets at 16 Rivers Annual Fundraiser
The Fall Fundraiser for Sixteen Rivers Press is coming up. It’s a lot of fun with great poetry, wonderful food, engaging conversations, and an opportunity to support Sixteen Rivers, now in its 26th year. The event will feature readings by Kim Addonizio and D. A. Powell, plus a silent auction. Admission is free, and donations are welcomed. Sunday, Oct. 19, 2:00 – 5:00 pm at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda, Berkeley, CA. To let us know you’re coming, and/or make a donation, go to eventbrite.com/e/sixteen-rivers-fall-fundraiser-and-26th-anniversary-celebration-registration-1612693853729

Writers’ Salon at Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Thursday, October 23, 3:00-5:30 p.m. Writers’ Salon: A monthly in-person gathering for literary enthusiasts at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Facilitator: Linda Loveland-Reid. Each person will have 5 minutes to read their work (any type of writing is welcome including prose, poetry, essay, etc.). Enjoy sharing feedback and insight. Light refreshment served. $15 per person/ Max 10 attendees. RSVP required, No drop-ins. Details and registration: sebarts.org/classes-lectures/writers-salon-oct-2025

Poetry of Remembrance Community Event
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Petaluma Historical Library & Museum
20 4th Street, Petaluma

Please join us for an evening of poetry, lecture and song honoring our departed loved ones.

In the first hour our host, Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter, will introduce featured speakers who will present poetry and songs and tell us about the history and meaning of Día de los Muertos.

In the second hour, the podium is turned over to participants from the community who are invited to share a brief poem or statement about a loved one in Spanish, English or other language. (Please limit your presentation to 2-3 minutes so that everyone has a chance to speak.)

Admission is free. Traditional refreshments will be served.

This event is part of the Día de los Muertos Petaluma celebration, featuring community altars, sugar skull workshops, music, dance, and a procession with giant puppets.

Philippa Gregory at Sonoma County Library
Wednesday, October 29, 11:00 a.m. Sonoma County Library’s free live-streamed author talk with Philippa Gregory, the queen of British historical fiction. Gregory returns to the infamous Tudor Court with her latest novel Boleyn Traitor (forthcoming October 14, 2025). Details and registration link at: libraryc.org/sonomalibrary/96070

____

Poem for October

Last Watch
by J. L. Berry

I watch myself walk out into an open meadow of tall grass and lie down
              no longer seen
              black soil exhumes my breath
              smooth-sigh

A horse rushes above me, flinging itself forward
              grunting with each leap
              lathered mouth watering the ground
              hoof prints embossed for legacy-legends

Canada geese fly low
             Wings scythe the air
             the clacking of fans snapping shut
             synchrony and off-beat staccato cries

Deer appear and disappear, turning to look over their backs
             “Are you coming? Are you coming?”
              Ever watchful with whirligig-seed ears
              Spirit luminous and single-minded

Heart beats and hoof beats, a receding choir
             Feathers fall-fail to shield my eyes

 

About the Author
Jessica Berry is a retired clinical psychologist who worked in the public sector (federal, state, county) for most of her career in the States and overseas. In addition to writing poetry and mostly short fiction, she has a background in the visual arts. Comfortable addressing serious subjects often gleaned from her professional life, she also enjoys producing satirical writings and graphic works that reflect her metropolitan New York area sensibility. She currently lives in Santa Rosa. 

Ici et Parti (Here and Gone), by Jessica Berry

_____

Send Us Your Poetry/Short Prose Selections
Starting in January of 2024, I began featuring a different Sonoma County writer each month at the end of the Literary Update Post. Here’s how to participate.

The theme can be anything you feel is appropriate to the season. I’ve adjusted the subject line, so you won’t feel limited to sending lineated verse. In fact, prose poems, flash fiction, creative nonfiction are all welcome, as long as the piece you send is no more than a page in length.

Send your submission to me at tehret99@comcast.net, with “SCLU Poem/Prose of the Month” in the subject heading.

Send me just one submission, no more than a page (or less).

These can be previously published, provided you identify the publishing source. If the piece is not your own, provide the author’s name and source. The author should be a Sonoma County voice, and if contemporary, please ask the author’s permission to submit.

Deadline: You can send the submission any time during the month, but I’ll need to receive your submission a few days before the month’s end to give me time to read, make my choice, and contact the author of the piece selected.
____

Terry Ehret
Sonoma County Literary Update Co-Editor