Department of English
Fresno Poets Archive Project
For nearly 40 years, the Fresno Poets’ Association reading series has attracted hundreds of poets and prose writers of all kinds to Fresno for world-class literary readings in Central California. Some of the earliest readings in the 1980s and ’90s not only featured the best of the best Fresno poets and writers but also some of the most renowned national and international authors of their day.
In 2016, poets C. G. Hanzlicek and Corrinne Hales made a generous donation to the Creative Writing Program: They granted access to nearly 80 VHS, Beta, and reel-to-reel recordings of the earliest FPA readings. Most of these aging tapes have since been rescued and brought into the digital age by the staff at Horn Photo, with funding from the College of Arts and Humanities. Additional recordings continue to surface.
Communications staff Jefferson Beavers continues to work with undergraduate creative writing interns, to make these recordings accessible on the Fresno State MFA YouTube channel. Each recording is fully closed captioned as accurately as possible, and it is accompanied by a blog post written by the intern for historical and personal context.
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Episode 28
Robert L. Jones
Coming soon.
Episode 27
Edward Hirsch
Coming soon.
Episode 26
Jean Janzen and Luis Omar Salinas
Recorded October 1989 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published December 3, 2024. Archive work by Alexandra Carrillo, Spring 2019.
Episode 25
Robert Hass
Recorded March 1986 inside Conley Art Auditorium (CA 101) at Fresno State. Published August 14, 2024. Archive work by Alexandra Carrillo, Spring 2019.
Episode 24
Czesław Miłosz
Recorded April 1986 inside University Center (UC 100) at Fresno State. Published July 26, 2024. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Spring 2019.
Episode 23
Gary Young and Dixie Salazar
Recorded September 1993 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published August 14, 2023. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Spring 2019.
Episode 22
Robert Mezey
Recorded February 1992 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published June 14, 2023. Archive work by Aidan Castro, Fall 2018.
Episode 21
Dixie Salazar
Recorded May 1990 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published January 25, 2023. Archive work by Aidan Castro, Fall 2018.
Episode 20
C.G. Hanzlicek
Recorded March 1986 inside Conley Art Auditorium (CA 101) at Fresno State. Published July 26, 2022. Archive work by Rodolfo Avelar, Fall 2018.
Episode 19
Philip Levine
Recorded August 1985 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published June 22, 2022. Archive work by Aidan Castro, Fall 2018.
Episode 18
Betty Jean Holmes and David R.C. Good
Recorded February 1989 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published December 20, 2019. Archive work by Mary Yamanaka, Spring 2018.
Episode 17
Dixie Salazar and Luis Omar Salinas
Recorded October 1991 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published December 17, 2019. Archive work by Mariah Bosch, Spring 2018.
Episode 16
Eric Selland and Kiyoko Sakamoto Nosker
Recorded August 1990 at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Published December 12, 2019. Archive work by Mary Yamanaka, Spring 2018.
Episode 15
C.G. Hanzlicek, Inés Hernández, Ernesto Trejo and Luis Omar Salinas
Recorded Spring 1985 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published October 1, 2019. Archive work by Mariah Bosch, Spring 2018.
Episode 14
Jean Janzen and Jill Janzen
Recorded December 1991 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published December 19, 2018. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Fall 2017.
Episode 13
Michael Clifton, David R.C. Good and friends
Recorded 1985 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published October 23, 2018. Archive work by Ernesto Reyes, Fall 2017.
Episode 12
Li-Young Lee
Recorded November 2002 inside Alice Peters Auditorium (PB 191) at Fresno State. Published September 26, 2018. Archive work by Kirk Alvaro Lua, Fall 2017.
Episode 11
Jon Veinberg
Recorded Fall 1985 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published January 24, 2018. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Fall 2017.
Episode 10
Corrinne Clegg Hales and Liza Wieland
Recorded April 1992 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published December 5, 2017. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Fall 2017.
Episode 9
How Much Earth, the Fresno Poets
Recorded 2001 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published November 6, 2017. Archive work by Ernesto Reyes, Fall 2017.
Episode 8
Juan Felipe Herrera and Margarita Luna Robles
Recorded November 1990 at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Published October 10, 2017. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Spring 2017.
Episode 7
James C. Baloian, DeWayne Rail and friends
Recorded October 1984. Published September 5, 2017. Archive work by Marisa Mata, Spring 2017.
Episode 6
Loretta Collins Klobah and Robert Vasquez
Recorded December 1988 in the KFCF 88.1 FM studio. Published August 7, 2017. Archive work by Naomi Carrillo, Fall 2016.
Episode 5
Larry Levis and Philip Levine
Recorded August 1984 at the Wild Blue Yonder nightclub. Published July 11, 2017. Archive work by Makenna Huffman, Fall 2016.
Episode 4
Sherley Anne Williams
Recorded February 1986 inside Conley Art Auditorium (CA 101) at Fresno State. Published June 5, 2017. Archive work by Mayra Cano, Fall 2016.
Episode 3
Robert Vasquez, Gary Soto, Ernesto Trejo, Leonard Adame and Luis Omar Salinas
Recorded November 1989 at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. Published May 8, 2017. Archive work by Naomi Carrillo, Fall 2016.
Episode 2
Suzanne Lummis and C.G. Hanzlicek
Recorded March 1992. Published April 3, 2017. Archive work by Mayra Cano, Fall 2016.
Episode 1
Ernesto Trejo tribute
Recorded November 1991 inside Bonner Auditorium at the Fresno Art Museum. Published March 3, 2017. Archive work by Makenna Huffman, Fall 2016.