Department of English

Fresno Poets' Association

The Fresno Poets' Association is a decades-old community reading series that features poetry and prose readings hosted by the Creative Writing Program. The FPA series is committed to bringing talented creative writers to campus to share their work with the community.

The faculty host of the series is Prof. Brynn Saito.

2024-25 season

Sept. 28 — Fresno Writers Summit, featuring Soul Vang, Angela Chaidez Vincent, Ryan Kenedy, and Jacob Reina (1 to 8 PM, Smittcamp Alumni House)
Oct. 30 — Fresno State MFA Faculty reading (6:30 PM, Alice Peters Auditorium, PB 191)
February 2025 — William Archila, 2023 Philip Levine Prize winner (time/format TBA)

2023-24: Anthony Cody, Kathy Fagan, Pilar Christiana Graham, Padraig Hogan, Gabriel Ibarra, Éric Morales-Franceschini
2022-23: Sara Borjas, traci kato-kiriyama, Sara Borjas
2021-22: E.C. Belli, Faylita Hicks, Steven Sanchez
2020-21: Steven Kleinman
2019-20: Mark Irwin, Liza Wieland
2018-19: Tina Mozelle Braziel, C. G. Hanzlicek, Patricia Smith
2017-18: Glover Davis, Rachel Rinehart, Shawn Wen
2016-17: Andrea Jurjević, Biljana Obradović, Kristen Radtke, Solmaz Sharif, Mai Der Vang, Gary Young
2015-16: Myriam Gurba, Kerry Howley, Dennis Maloney, Wendy C. Ortiz, Jen Percy, Christine Poreba, Khaty Xiong
2014-15: Christopher Buckley, Marilyn Chin, John Gery, Jeffrey Schultz, Jon Veinberg, Chelsea Wagenaar

Poet C.W. Moulton founded the Fresno Poets' Association as a community organization in the 1980s. Originally as much a social group as a literary one, the FPA provided opportunities for local poets to gather regularly at the old Wild Blue Yonder night club in the Tower District.

Readings were later held inside the Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. In 1994, C. G. Hanzlicek became the director of the FPA, bringing noted poets from across the country for readings. Hanzlicek retired as director in 2009.

After a brief time directed by the Fresno State Library, the FPA series is now hosted by the Creative Writing Program, with support from the College of Arts and Humanities. MFA faculty Brynn Saito serves as series coordinator.

Visit the Fresno State MFA YouTube channel to enjoy a playlist of recordings from the Fresno Poets Archive Project.

Faculty Coordinator: Prof. Brynn Saito

Administrative Staff: Jefferson Beavers

Address:
Fresno Poets' Association
Fresno State, English Department
5245 N. Backer Ave., PB98
Fresno, CA 93740-8001

Phone: 559.278.1569

Location: Peters Business Building, Room 391