Poetry Center Book Award Reading: Lauren Levin and Melissa Mack
Lauren Levin
Lauren Levin is a poet, mixed-genre writer and art critic, author of The Braid (Krupskaya, 2016) and Justice Piece // Transmission (Timeless, Infinite Light, 2018). Their gender identity is some mix of belated queer, Jewish great-aunt and aspirational Frank O’Hara. They are still figuring it out. They live in Richmond, are from New Orleans, and are committed to queer art, intersectional feminism, being a parent and anxiety.
Melissa Mack
Oakland-based poet Melissa Mack’s work has appeared in journals (Elderly, The Capilano Review, Try!, With+Stand), anthologies (Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot, What We Want: A List of Our F--king Demands), the chapbook Includes All Strangers (Hooke Press, 2013), Poet’s Theater (Debt: A Play, with Lara Durback, Lauren Levin and Anne Lesley Selcer), at the Alette in Oakland Conference and at many public readings.
Her life is structured by a day job, multiple study groups, showing up at protests, reading tarot and going on walks with her friends. She aspires to live in a world where everyone has their needs met and human creativity can flower in whatever directions it wishes without being manipulated or devoured by capitalism.