On the 1/29/25 Edition of Dr Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour:
The first guest on the show, Katharine Burnett, joins to speak on the Global Tea Institute’s (GTI) 10th Anniversary Colloquialism. The theme for the colloquialism is tea and peace, as one of the institute’s initiatives is to bring community together. Mariam Ahmed then joins the show to discuss the release of her newest poetry collection, Hidden Parts. Ahmed explains why she defines herself as a California poet, and details some of her publication process. She then shares a poem titled, “You belong here,” before the next guest on the show, Maya Sinha phones in. Sinha outlines the success of Stories on Stage Davis’s recent move to Sudwerk. And shares details for their upcoming Flash Fiction night on Sunday, February 9th. Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is the last guest of the show, and joins to share praise of the upcoming San Francisco Writers Conference. She describes the conference as a place where a diverse group of writer’s join in co-presence to formulate life-long connections and gain confidence in their craft. Bize-Boutte will feature on the conference's Saturday, “Power of Process” panel.
Professor Katharine Burnett is Founding Director of UC Davis’s Global Tea Institute for the Study of Tea Culture and Science. A professor of Chinese art history, her research explores how cultural values are manifested in art, what it means to collect art, and now also, what we can learn about cultures and societies through studying individual and diverse tea cultures.
Mariam Ahmed is a Californian poet. Mariam earned her MFA in Poetry from San Diego State University and her BA in English Literature with a minor in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. Her newest poetry collection, Hidden Parts was published on January 13, 2025 by Broken Tribe Press.
Maya Sinha is a lawyer, writer, and former reporter. For two years, she wrote a humor column for the Davis Enterprise called 'Lowbrow,' which led to a monthly humor column for The Saturday Evening Post. Her award-winning 2022 novel, The City Mother, has been presented at Stories on Stage Davis and The Avid Reader, and she is the current director of Stories on Stage Davis.
Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an award-winning, internationally published poet and novelist. She is the co-author of the poetry books, “No Poetry No Peace™” (a poetry reading series), and “Traipsing In Poetry Prose and Vignette,” written with her daughter Angela. Sheryl is the San Francisco Writer’s Conference (SFWC) 2025 “Writing for Change” Track Coordinator and has been appointed as the Poetry Summit Coordinator for SFWC 2026.
The Poetry Night Reading Series takes place on first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 PM, is generously supported by the people and poets of the Sacramento Valley, by John Natsoulas, and by Thea and the other members of the staff at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Your host will be Dr. Andy Jones, the poet laureate emeritus of the City of Davis. Our next event on February 6th will be a wide open mic.
Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.
Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.
