Nomadic Press poets reflect on the themes of our current exhibitions, After the Thrill is Gone: Fashion, Politics and Culture in Contemporary South African Art and Digitalia: Art & The Economy of Ideas, by reading and discussing original work in the galleries among the pieces that inspired them.

These readings and discussions culminate in the MoAD Salon with an evening of wine and performance by the participating poets on August 16.

Founded by J.K. Fowler in 2011, Nomadic Press lifts the voices of emerging and established writers and artists. Through publications (including translations) and performances, Nomadic Press aims to build community among artists across disciplines.

Participating poets

James Cagney is a poet from Oakland. He has appeared as a featured poet at venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Vancouver, and Mumbai. Nomadic Press will publish his first collection Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour Of Chaos Theory in August.

Visit his blog at https://thedirtyrat.blog/

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Rohan DaCosta is a multi-disciplinary artist from the city of Chicago, working primarily through photography, writing, and song. He is the founder of and curator for GRACEGOD The Collective, which celebrates the unique work of artists, craftsmen, and activists from all over the world. His work in graphic design and clothing has been featured as limited edition merchandise at The Koppel Project in London.  

His photography has been featured at The Flight Deck Gallery as a solo exhibition titled Ordinary People (2018). His photography has also been featured at Root Division Gallery as part of a group exhibition titled Let Me Be a Witness (2018). His first publication of photography and poetry, The Edge of Fruitvale, was published by Nomadic Press in April 2018.

Natasha Dennerstein was born in Melbourne, Australia, to a family originating in Belarus. She worked as a psychiatric nurse for many years, which gave her an interesting perspective on the human condition. She has an MFA from San Francisco State University and has had poetry published in many journals including Landfall, Shenandoah, Bloom, Red Light Lit, Spoon River Poetry Review, Foglifter and North American Review.

Her collections Anatomize (2015), Triptych Caliform (2016) and her novella-in-verse About a Girl (2017) were published by Norfolk Press in San Francisco. Her chapbook Seahorse (2017) was published by Nomadic Press in Oakland.

Nazelah Jamison is a performance poet, actor, vocalist, and emcee. She is an East Coast transplant, former organizer of the Oakland Poetry Slam, and sometimes a reluctant superhero. Nomadic Press released her first book of poetry Evolutionary Heart in fall of 2016.

Nazelah gives the best hugs in the Bay Area.

nick johnson was born and raised near the brackish Chesapeake Bay but now calls the Bay Area waters home. johnson is a poet, global wanderer, and yogi. His book, music for mussolini, released by Nomadic Press in 2016, was a finalist for the 2017 CLMP Firecracker Award.

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Vernon Keeve III is a Virginia born writer that California molded into an educator. He lives and teaches in Oakland. His purpose is to teach the next generation the importance of relaying their personal narratives, sharing their experiences, and taking control of their destinies.

He holds a MFA from California College of the Arts and a Masters in Teaching Literature from Bard College.

Juliana Delgado Lopera is an award-winning Colombian writer, historian based in San Francisco. The recipient of the 2014 Jackson Literary award, and a finalist of the ClarkGross Novel award, she’s the author of ¡Cuéntamelo! an illustrated bilingual collection of oral histories by LGBT Latinx immigrants (Aunt Lute 2017) and Quiéreme (Nomadic Press 2017). She's received fellowships from Brush Creek Foundation of the Arts, Lambda Literary Foundation, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and The SF Grotto, and an individual artist grant from the SF Arts Commission.

Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and published in various publications. She’s the executive director of RADAR Productions.

Follow her on Instagram @julianadlopera

Director, poet, and playwright Dr. Ayodele Nzinga received an MFA in Writing and Conciseness and a PhD in Transformative Education. One of Theater Bay Area's 40 faces of Theater, Nzinga is an Alameda County Arts Leadership awardee, Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame member, and is the current Helen Crocker Russell awardee.

This series is supported in part by Poets & Writers.