Shout out to the POETS who represented BAFS at the final Jazzetry until Fall! Jorge Figueroa (Igi Gayumba), Virginia Schultz, Vikram Dhankhar, Joshua C. D. Robinson, Jona Fine, Marcus If, Thomas Ivory Jr (and a surprise guest appearance by Lee Frankel-Goldwater!) Thank you Von Disco, for sharing the stage with us!
May 2026 First Friday Sound Flight! @vikram_dhankar on the mic!
Vikram will be teaching Second Sunday Poetry Class in May, check it out; he is a brilliant teacher, full of wisdom! Link to FB event page in bio.
@squiddsmadden on the Starjammer!
John Rasmussen on the flute!
Celebrate May Day with us tonight at the Coffee Stand, for the monthly First Friday Soundflight! This temporary autonomous performance space features music, poetry, and you!
The May Second Sunday class is set! Join Vikram for âSilence Speaksâ : In this class, we will work with practices that allow for calming the analytical mind, while engaging in the creative process. We will explore methods that allow for feeling blocked emotions, in tandem with expressing their message in flow (on paper and off it).
We hope to see you at the Boulder Public Library from 2-5 pm!
Aspen Everett will lead our March 2nd Sunday Poetry Class at the Boulder Public Library! 2-5 PM in the Arapahoe room, main Branch, March 8th! Poetry & the Art of Protest! An opportunity to write short-form chants for use on the streets as well as long form protest poetry. Donât miss it!
Additional Text on Photos:
Beyond Academia Free Skoolâs 2nd Sunday Writing Workshop
POETRY & THE ART OF PROTEST, Ft.. Aspen Everett
âThe artistâs duty,â says Nina Simone, âis to respond to the times we are living in.â As poets and writers, how do we find the right words for these tumultuous times, or express our frustrations with any coherence or beauty? Luckily, poetry is an art form we can use to respond in the moment, an artistic reaction with the power to become an anthem for the masses or a rallying cry at the frontlines of a demonstration. A small poem can act as an insurgent agent in the imagination, while a grand poem can become a performance that brings together the collective. In this workshop, weâll exam chants and short form protest poetry from past and present, as well as longer forms written and performed with music, to better understand how to write our own words of resistance.
bio:
@aspengrovepoetry is a poet, performer, and organizer who still believes words and paper are more powerful than bullets and batons. Aspen is the author of âTributariesâ from Middle Creek Publishing, Assistant Editor for Screaming at America, Community Engagement Instructor with Lighthouse Writers, and host of Spotlight: A Boulder Notoriety Show. They live in Boulder, CO with their seventeen-year-old and stubborn houseplants, and have managed to keep both alive for at least this long.
The Second Sunday workshop series is sponsored thanks to the generosity of the Boulder County Arts Alliance! @boulder.county.arts.alliance
Oh, the weather outside is very needed! And the poets spittinâ fire is so delightful! Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow! Video of @igi_gayumba playing with words during the First Friday Soundflight Poetry at @thecoffeestand.boulder on March 06, 2026 âď¸đľđ¤#POET
Music: @squiddsmadden and the Starjammer!
Poetry Host: @beyondacademiafreeskool and @akashicrecordpoetry
Join us at the Boulder Public Library on Second Sunday in February from 2 PM - 4:45 PM!
This workshop will explore how Tantric philosophyâstripped of popular âsacred sexâ misconceptionsâoffers artists a profound framework for understanding and expanding creative capacity. Drawing from Kashmir Shaivism and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, weâll discuss Tantric principles of consciousness, energy, and creation, then apply them through experiential writing prompts. Participants will leave with practical tools for accessing their inherent creative wealth and a deeper understanding of how contemplative traditions can ground and expand artistic practice. Suitable for writers, poets, and artists of all experience levels seeking to deepen their creative process.
Bio: Jorge Figueroa wanted to be a monk after graduating with honors from the University of Rochester. He briefly lived in the Siddha Yoga Ashram, intensely studying Kashmir Shaivism Tantra, and over 30 years has practiced Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, developing deep understanding of how Tantric philosophies illuminate creative process. Jorge has been Featured Poet at the Presidential Pablo Neruda Medal of Honor Award Ceremony given by the President of Chile Ricardo Lagos to Ricardo AlegrĂa, Founder of Puerto Ricoâs Institute of Culture (Centro de Estudios Avanzados, San Juan 2004), and became the first rapper to perform at Indiaâs Kalakshetra Temple of the Arts with the Poetry with Prakritri Festival (Chennai 2008). From Puerto Rico and residing in Boulder since 2009, he currently pursues a music career as Igi Gayumba and is part of the poetry+theater collective OutSpoken.
The Second Sunday workshop series is sponsored by the @boulderlibrary and the @boulder.county.arts.alliance
Esther and Virginia performing a duet during BAFS Poetry & Performance Lab in the Canyon Theatre (improv musical accompaniment by the Starjammer!) Join the dynamic duo for a co-taught poetry class this Sunday, January 11th, from 2:30 - 4:45 PM in the Arapahoe Meeting Room at the @boulderlibrary
