Poetry & Art Series 2014: People’s Choice Poem Performance Awards with Steve Kowit, host Michael Klam, and DJ Gill Sotu.

An interactive arts and culture experience, co-sponsored by Poetry International.

All participants read/perform one poem under three minutes long. Audience members choose (by secret ballot) their favorite poem based on content and performance. Props, artwork, singing, music, dancing -- all accompaniment is allowed and anything goes. Top poem performances (the poems that receive the most votes) win $50. Audience members will be encouraged to hoot for their favorites and try to influence the rest of the audience.

Writers/artists who would like to participate can get their names in the hat ahead of time at [email protected] or sign in on the night of the show.

There will be goodies and wine. Bring beverages or snacks/desserts/dishes to share and get in free. Info: 619-957-3264.

Steve Kowit is a poet, essayist, teacher, and workshop facilitator. His publications include Lurid Confessions, Serving House Press Edition; Crossing Borders (an art/poetry collaboraion with the painter Lenny Silverberg and intro by Robbie Conal); The First Noble Truth; The Dumbbell Nebula; The Gods of Rapture (poems based on the amatory poetry of india); and The Maverick Poets (an anthology Kowit edited in the mid-80's containing the work of Charles Bukowski, Billy Collins, Kim Addonizio, and Jane Cortez to name a few).

DJ Gill Sotu will provide music throughout the event. Sotu has opened for Grammy-nominated legend Sheila E, and partnered and performed with the San Diego Symphony. He has been commissioned to create numerous poetry pieces for the United Way of San Diego and performed for TEDx San Diego in December 2013. Gill has been featured on NBC 7's Art Pulse TV and was named the 2012 & 2013 San Diego Raw Performing Artist of the Year.

Poetry International is an annual literary journal published by SDSU with Ilya Kaminsky as editor-in-chief.