The final Writers Read of 2024 ends with a flourish as we welcome Devreaux Baker, Mendocino County’s first poet laureate, to the lectern. Among her many accomplishments, Devreaux has published five books of poetry and received the PEN Oakland Award for Red Willow People. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and journals including The Crab Orchard Review, ZYZZYVA, Persimmon Tree, and Poetry in Flight/Poesia En Velo. Devreaux’s many fellowships and awards have taken her to Taos, New Mexico; Edinburgh, Scotland; Peterborough, New Hampshire; Hawaii; and Mexico .

Writers Read has been happening in Ukiah since 1999, and occurs on the last Thursday of almost every month. (We moved it to the third Thursday of November this year so as not to compete with Thanksgiving.) The program focuses on poetry, spoken word, short stories, song, and expository prose. The evening typically begins with a featured reader at 7:00 and then is followed by an hour of open mic starting around 8:00. The first Writers Read of 2025 will occur on January 30.