Sonoma County Literary Update

March 2026 Calendar of Literary Events

The monthly calendar reflects announcements that literary folk from the area have sent to us. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use the links below.   Please send your calendar announcements, text only (no attachments or PDFs please), no later than noon on the last day of each month. Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see here (Day, date, time: event, cost, location, contact). Events should be within an hour’s drive of Sonoma County. Send your announcements to editor@socolitupdate.com. NOTE: Lengthy announcements will be edited. Where possible, please provide a link to a web page with complete details.

Book Passage www.bookpassage.com*
Copperfield’s Books www.copperfieldsbooks.com*
Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us
Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com
Redwood Writers www.redwoodwriters.org
Sebastopol Center for the Arts www.sebarts.org
Sitting Room Library www.sittingroomlibrary.org

*NOTE: Book Passage and Copperfield’s Books have archived their virtual events. For Book Passages Conversations With Authors, go to: https://bookpassage.extendedsession.com/archive/ Copperfield’s Books’ Virtual Event Library may be found on YouTube.

Monday, March 2, 6:00 p.m. Rivertown Poets meet via Zoom. Our fabulous features are Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and Caroline Goodwin. It will be yet another Rivertown/High Desert reading you won’t want to miss! Followed by open mic (the list is already full). It’s best to log on between 5:45 and 5:55 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting: us06web.zoom.us/j/6508887879. Passcode: 2241991

Tuesday, March 3, 7:00 p.m. Copperfield’s Books welcomes award-winning professor and author Carla Kaplan to Montgomery Village in celebration of her perceptive new biography, Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford. She will be joined in conversation by award-winning biographer, essayist, and poet Iris Jamahl Dunkle. Troublemaker tells the wild and unlikely story of Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous Mitford Girls, a British aristocrat-turned-American Communist, famous for exposés like The American Way of Death; this biography brings her astonishing self-transformation to life with a riveting, often hilarious account of trading wealth and status for a life of radical activism. At 2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa. More details and RSVP: copperfieldsbooks.com/event/2026-03-03/carla-kaplan-iris-jamahl-dunkle

Wednesday, March 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m. A Night of Poetry and Community at Russian River Books and Letters, 14045 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville. Local West Sonoma County poets, Shawna Swetech and Robert Jones will read from their poetry collections, followed by an open mic (one poem/3 minutes per reader). Join us for a fun evening of literary art, and as antidote to the world’s ills. More details: booksletters.com/events/a-night-of-poetry-community

Sunday, March 8. 10:00 a.m-2:00 p.m.. Occidental Center for the Arts’ Studio. 7minutesMAX – Storytelling Workshop with Jessica Morell, and Suze Pringle Cohan.Join our introductory class to learn about narrative, truth telling, what storytelling isn’t  and get a chance to start creating your Moth-style story for our ongoing 7minutesMax events, second Fridays (7-8 PM) of the month in the OCA lobby. Workshop registration $75, ($65 for OCA members). Bring your own lunch. This workshop is limited to 20 people. Register early at occidentalcenterforthearts.org. 3850 Doris Murphy Way, Occidental, CA. OCA’sfacilities are accessible to people with disabilities. For more info: occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Sunday, March 8, 4:00-5:30 p.m. Occidental Center for the Arts’ Lobby. Jazzmyn Inisis will read from her book, Shah Razad and the Djins Who Loved Her. Jazzmyn is a local writer who was deeply influenced living in the middle east as a child of a military father stationed there in the 1950’s. Join us for an afternoon of mystery and storytelling with Jazzmyn, accompanied by middle eastern food and fine wines available for purchase. Settle in and be transported… Free admission, all donations happily accepted. This is a reading only by the author, no books available for sale. OCA: 3850 Doris Murphy Way, Occidental, CA. OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. For more info: occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Tuesday, March 10, 5:00-7:00 p.m. The 12th Barrel Proof Lounge/Timothy Williams Poetry Salon presents Two Golden Hours of All Things Irish. Featuring: Elizabeth Herron, Lin Marie diVincent, Hugh Shaklet, Anika Snyder, Gwynn O’Gara and Rob Catterton, and special guest Fergus Lenehan. In the theater for poets, writers, and musicians at 501 Mendocino Avenue, downtown Santa Rosa.

Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. Dave Pokorny presents West Side Stories:  Every month there is a theme, hopefully that sparks a memory for you. You put your name in a hat and 10 people’s names are drawn at random. When your name is pulled you get 5 minutes to tell your personal true story. At the end of the evening, everyone votes by text for their favorite story of the night. The winner gets $50. January’s theme is “Don’t Give Up Your Day Job.”  Details and ticket ($21.50) purchase: davepokornypresents.com/west-side-stories

Thursday, March 12, 6:00 p.m. Book Passage celebrates award-winning poet and essayist Gbenga Adesina’s heartfelt and unforgettable debut book of poetry, Death Does Not End at the Sea. Gbenga will be joined in conversation with Aracelis Girmay, the author of the poetry collections the black maria. Corte Madera store. Details: bookpassage.com/event/gbenga-adesina-aracelis-girmay-death-does-not-end-sea-corte-madera-store

Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 p.m. Bill McNamara reads from his collection of poems, Before Tomorrow. At Readers’ Books, 130 E. Napa St, Sonoma.

Wednesday, March 18, 6:00 p.m. Book Passage Corte Madera author event celebrating Laura Briel Sullivan’s compelling new book, Sailing with Angels: A Poetic Tale of Grief and Grace. In a poetic take on loss, Sullivan delivers the whimsical yet grounded story of Princess Briel, a young girl dealing with the loss of the generation ahead of her. Laura will be joined by Sarah Brubacher McDonald, author of The Cancer Channel: One Year. Two Cancers. Three Miracles. Details: bookpassage.com/event/laura-briel-sullivan-sailing-angels-poetic-tale-grief-and-grace-corte-madera-store

Friday, March 20, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Online Literary Open Mic. Share a short story or poetry. Email johnnybodega1@gmail.com for Zoom link. Hosted by John Christian, flyingchairproductions.weebly.com.

Friday, March 20, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Zoom reading of Donna Emerson’s Daphne Lifts Up, Donna’s third full-length collection of poetry. To sign up, see Donna’s website, donnaemerson.com and click on Readings. The Zoom link will be posted after March 7.

Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Creative Writing Retreat hosted by Dominican University of CA’s MFA in Creative Writing program. Dominican MFA writing mentors will lead workshops in fiction, essay, memoir, and poetry. This retreat has a new format that offers extended time in small group workshops in both the morning and the afternoon as well as group journal writing, a nature walk, and a keynote lecture with Savala Nolan, author of Good Woman, A Reckoning. Registration fee ($160) includes lunch. Scholarships available. For details and to register visit the retreat Eventbrite page: eventbrite.com/e/creative-writing-retreat-in-person-at-dominican-march-21-2026-tickets-1983895162837

Saturday March 21, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Dave Seter and Librarian Terra Emerson will be co-leading a workshop on the topic of “Documenting Current Events Through Poetry” at the Sebastopol Branch of Sonoma County Library located at 7140 Bodega Avenue. Details at: events.sonomalibrary.org/event/copy-hold-potential-poet-laureate-event-94149

Saturday, March 21, 2:00-5:00 p.m. The first of four workshops with Loretta Mijares—MovingWriting: Embodied Expressive Writing  combining movement/dance with expressive writing. At a private studio in Sebastopol. $75 per afternoon. More details on Workshops page. To register, go to MovingWriting.com or email: loretta@movingwriting.com.

Sunday, March 22, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fourth Sunday Meditation Gathering with Clara Rosemarda. Free on Zoom. Details on Workshops page. Contact: 707-567-7117 or rosen@sonic.net

Sunday, March 22, 4:00 p.m. Book Passage Corte Madera celebrates Grace Feuerverger’s deeply moving memoir Winter Light: The Memoir of a Child of Holocaust Survivors. Grace will be joined in conversation with Alison Owings, author of Mayor of the Tenderloin. Vivid and lyrical, Winter Light is a deeply moving memoir dedicated to all who are coming from places of trauma. Details: bookpassage.com/event/grace-feuerverger-winter-light-corte-madera-store

Thursday, March 26, 6:00 p.m. Zoom launch of Centa Therese’s marvelous poetry collection the myth of me (Kelsay Books), with special guest poet Abby Lynn Bogomolny sharing poetry from her book The Lighted Pull of Dreams (Finishing Line Press). Register for the launch with this link.

Thursday, March 26, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Writers Forum presents Debra Koehler and Samantha Rose in conversation about the business side of writing, from researching to publishing to promotion. Free on Zoom. Hosted by Marlene Cullen. Details: thewritespot.us/forum.php

Saturday, March 28, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Redwood Writers 2026 Author Launch. This event will be held in person in Room 5 of the Senior Wing at the Finley Center, Santa Rosa. Join the Redwood Writers Branch  in celebrating 18 local authors and their newly published books. This lively community event brings readers and writers together for an inspiring morning of short readings, book sales, and conversation. FREE for members, guests & general public. More details and registration: redwoodwriters.org/author-launch

Sunday, March 29. The 2026 Café Frida Poetry Festival with host Gwynn O’Gara. Featured readers, set one: Rebecca Petrascu, Greg Mahrer, Francesca Bell, Greg Randall. After intermission, set two: Patti Trimble, Karl Mackie, Gwynn O’Gara with Rob Catterton, piano, Jamie Parker, guitar, and Chris Lushington, bass.  At Café Frida, 300 South A Street, Ste. 4, Santa Rosa. Check the Café Frida events page for details.

Mark Your Calendar for April 2026

Thursday, April 2, 7:00 p.m. Book Passage welcomes Michael Pollan in celebration of his new work, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness. Michael will be joined in conversation with Avram Kosasky, a regular contributor to Book Passage’s online content. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, this book offers a panoptic exploration of consciousness—what it is, who has it, and why—and serves as a profound meditation on the essence of our humanity. Ticketed event at Dominican University of California, Angelico Hall. Details and tickets: bookpassage.com/event/michael-pollan-world-appears

Monday, April 6, 6:00 p.m. Rivertown Poets, live at Aqus Cafe (189 H Street, Petaluma). Features are Louise Moises and Diane Frank. Open mic follows the features. One poem of under 3 minutes, please. No advance sign-ups—there will be a clipboard at the cafe. Info: rivertownpoet@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 8, 7:30 p.m. Dave Pokorny presents West Side Stories:  Every month there is a theme, hopefully that sparks a memory for you. You put your name in a hat and 10 people’s names are drawn at random. When your name is pulled you get 5 minutes to tell your personal true story. At the end of the evening, everyone votes by text for their favorite story of the night. The winner gets $50. January’s theme is “Too Many Irons in the Fire.”  Details and ticket ($21.50) purchase: davepokornypresents.com/west-side-stories

Thursday April 9, 6:00 p.m. Reading at Sausalito Books by the Bay, 100 Bay Street, Sausalito. Dominican MFA students, alumni, and faculty will share new writing at the seaside bookstore in Sausalito. Readers will be announced and updated on the registration page. Registration recommended, but not required. Register Here.

Friday, April 10, 7:00 p.m. Copperfield’s Books welcomes Santa Cruz author Victoria Tatum to Petaluma in celebration of her captivating new eco-fiction novel More Than Any River. She will be joined in conversation by Jennifer Mygatt, Sonoma County-based visual artist. For those tied to the western landscape who wonder whether we might find redemption in the story of its water during a time of increasing climate extremes, a based-on-true-events tale of family farmers fighting to save the land they steward. At 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma. More details and RSVP: copperfieldsbooks.com/event/2026-04-10/victoria-tatum-jennifer-mygatt

Saturday, April 11, 1:00 p.m. Book Passage Corte Madera author event celebrating Ada Limón’s empathetic and profoundly caring new book, Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry. 24th Poet Laureate of the United States Ada Limón inspires us to see poetry as much more than just words—as a powerful force for healing, a call to action, and a vibrant celebration of humanity’s many voices. More details: bookpassage.com/event/ada-lim%C3%B3n-against-breaking-power

Sunday, April 12, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Occidental Center for the Arts Literary Series, in celebration of National Poetry Month, presents West County Spring, featuring five well-known and loved West County poet friends. William Greenwood, Shawna Swetech, Raphael Block, Tamsin Smith and Larry Robinson will read from their recent collections. with musical accompaniment by David Field. Readings, Q&A, book sales and signing. This is a free event, all donations happily accepted. Refreshments for sale. OCA: 3850 Doris Murphy Way, Occidental, CA. OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. For more info: occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Friday, April 17, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Online Literary Open Mic. Share a short story or poetry. Email johnnybodega1@gmail.com for Zoom link. Hosted by John Christian, flyingchairproductions.weebly.com.

Friday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. Copperfield’s Books is thrilled to welcome Peter Richardson to Petaluma in celebration of his illuminating new book Brand New Beat: The Wild Rise of Rolling Stone. How the iconic publication’s unruly first decade rewrote the rules of journalism. Peter will be joined in conversation by Tim Lynch, host of KPFA’s Dead to the World. At 140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma. Details and registration (required for seating): copperfieldsbooks.com/event/2026-04-17/peter-richardson-tim-lynch

Saturday, April 18, 11:00 a.m. Redwood Writers Club presents Robbin Gabbert on The Magic of Ekphrastic. You’ll learn how to use artwork to inspire your creative writing, both poetry and prose. This session is suited for any writer interested in empowering creativity, finding ways to battle writer’s block, exploring new perspectives, and fostering a deeper appreciation of the visual arts. At the Finley Center, Santa Rosa. Details: redwoodwriters.org/robin-gabbert-the-magic-of-ekphrastic

Sunday, April 19, 1:00 p.m. Sixteen Rivers Press North Bay Book Launch at Book Passage in Corte Madera. Featuring: Carolyn Miller, Dane Cervine, and Lenore Myers. The event will showcase Miller’s Random Universe, which explores a wide range of subjects through a fierce and tender poetic gaze; Cervine’s Children of Obscura: This Mysterious Human, which blends scientific facts with enigmatic stories of physical life; and Myers’s Afterimages, a collection of “galleries” exploring various artworks. Details at: bookpassage.com/event/sixteen-rivers-press-north-bay-book-launch-2026-corte-madera-store

Sunday, April 19, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Favorite Poems with Dave Seter. Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter will lead an inspiring afternoon of poetry, tea and cookies with shared voices and meaningful connections. Join us for a heartwarming afternoon celebrating the power of poetry, benefiting SebArts’ Literary Arts Program. Your ticket includes a beautifully handmade ceramic mug from our ceramic studio! Sliding Scale: $35/$45/$55. More details and tickets: sebarts.org/classeslectures/p/favorite-poems-with-dave-seter

Thursday April 23, 6:00 p.m. Girl in a Box Book Launch with author Jean Gordon Kocienda. In-Person Dominican Campus Event. Author Jean Gordon Kocienda will discuss her new book Girl in a Box, in conversation with Judy Halebsky. Register here.

Thursday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. Copperfield’s Books welcomes bestselling local author Jane Smiley to Santa Rosa in celebration of her exhilarating new novel Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton. From the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, a rousing novel that follows two young women fleeing a divided America: one running toward a dazzling future and the other running from a troubled past. At Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Registration required due to limited seating. Details: copperfieldsbooks.com/event/2026-04-23/jane-smiley

Sunday, April 26, 1:00-3:00 p.m. CalPoets Marin Anthology 2026 Reading & Celebration featuring readings from student poets & Youth Poet Laureates of Marin. At Book Passage in Corte Madera. Details: bookpassage.com/event/calpoets-marin-anthology-2026-reading-celebration-corte-madera-store

Tuesday April 28, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Lacandona Speed Book Launch with MFA Faculty Claudia Morales. Online via Zoom. MFA faculty author Claudia Morales will discuss her new short story collection Lacandona Speed, in conversation with Tomas Moniz. Conversation about the book will be in English. The author will read from the book in Spanish and also read a section translated into English. Lacandona Speed won the Latin American Voices international literature award from Literal Magazine. This cross-genre prize celebrates literature written in Spanish by authors living in the United States and Canada. Register here.