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still reeling from hosting @ottosbookstore209 open mic last week with featured poet and my friend @minteaspc_ thank you to Alex for creating this incredible space for us artists to express ourselves at, thanks to those who drove near and far to support! So honored to be apart of this badass community! ✨🥔✌🏻

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A drive from Sac to Stockton on a Thursday night?

Only if its Ben Sanchez @minteaspc_ featuring AND the Victorya Contreras @thesparklepotatopoet hosting the awesome monthly open mic at @ottosbookstore209 🌼

Ben—the smooth butta of your poetry was extra last night, I wrote sooo many lines down from your poems, I can't wait to Frankenstein them together in my own poems.

And my 🫛, you were extra sparkly. ✨️💗

love ya both with a heart that overflows for ya

WE LOVE U ALEX TY for the space and all the books!!!!

ALSO I'm featuring next month there hehe my turn—again! 🤭

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🎙️TONIGHT! Join us for our first open mic of the new season. 🍂

Our host Victorya Contreras a.k.a. The Sparkle Potato Poet is a left-handed creative from Lodi, CA. Her poetry explores themes of grief, identity, and human connection. Victorya illuminates rooms with her words, leaving glimmers of hope that we are never truly alone.

Stockton Poet Benjamin Matthew Sanchez is our featured artist. Benjamin is a half-blind, self-taught artist. A poet and published writer, he is inspired by several individuals who continue to support his journey. He writes and sketches art at the edges of blank space. Ben has won a poetry contest through our local publishers, Tuleburg Press, and is noted on multiple online poetry accounts worldwide.

All are welcome to join us whether you’re performing or just here to enjoy. Signups begin at 6pm.

See you tonight!

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October’s Poetry Exchange prompt organized by the lovely Savannah @thistooisholy is “Voices” 🤍 As soon as I read what the prompt would be, I knew I had to write a piece about my favourite mythical creature, Sirens 🧜🏻‍♀️

Sirens are beautiful mythical creatures that originate from Greek and Roman mythology. Greek art and tradition depicted them as half-bird, half-woman hybrids, but over time, they evolved into the mermaid-like creatures we know them as today. 🌊

A lot of my writing is based on ocean imagery, so this was an easy-peasy decision to write about one of my favourite creatures. 🩵

My poetry exchange buddy is @minteaspc_ 🤍 Check out his incredible work as well. Super talented writer!

Thank you, Savannah, for organizing this for the writing community 🥰

Also big shoutout to @the_abominable_snowdave and @stevelikestoread for their input on this little piece. I have the best nerdy friends. 🤍🫶🏻

—
@thistooisholy
@minteaspc_
#ThePoetryExchangeTTIH

—
© 2026 Sammi Martin

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some of the sweetest slices of life lately ✨

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🍁 Autumn is finally here! Here’s a peek at some of the fun planned for October. Save the dates and we will see you soon!

🎥 Poeticas Film Screening - Saturday, October 3rd at 11am

Join us for an intimate viewing of local and international micro films where filmmakers transform original poetry into 5 minute films. Admission is free and all are welcome! Made possible in part by Mr Otto’s bookstore, Poeticas Institute, and the Stockton Arts Commission. All attendees will receive a special code to submit their own film for the 2027 Poeticas Film Festival. @poeticasfilmfestival

📣Free the books! Tuesday, October 6th at 6 - 7:30pm

During Banned Books Week, we’re teaming up with @librofm and @SilentBookClub to host a Banned Books Read-In to protest book censorship. Join us next Tuesday as we read and take action to fight book bans! Attendees will also receive a free audio copy of either Banned Together or How to Defend Books and Why 🎧

🎙️ Open Mic Night at 6pm, Thursday the 8th

Our monthly open mic night is back with our host from Lodi Poets @thesparklepotatopoet! Featuring Stockton Poet @minteaspc_ Ben Sanchez.

All are welcome to join us, whether you want to perform or enjoy the local talent!

🐈‍⬛ Adoption & Storytime

Our monthly adoption event is back Saturday, October 10 from 12 - 4pm. We will have some special guest kitties joining us (stay tuned for their story!) along with pups ready for their furever home.

If you are a foster or interested in becoming one, please join us!

We will have an all ages storytime at 1pm. Come snuggle up with a pup and listen to local author and co-founder of @hardluckawa Carolyn Wooddall read her book!

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Weekday Hymns and Poetry with @bryan.edwards.live

I @bryan.edwards.live am honoured to have read poetry from these amazing poets listed below. And thank you to everyone who hung out during the Live to hear me read them 🙏❤️😀

9/9/26
@inktswords
a.loaf.of.pen
@inksomnia_writer
@the_white_oracle
@saint.noahpoetry
@midagedpoetry
@coughlinfamilypoetry
@wolvesandwildflowerspoetry
@somenewtherapy.poetry
@minteaspc_
@laxwr_ites
@deshpriyanka2020
@bits_from_heart
@richa_rain
@mbs2803
@newnamepoetry
@jim.akinsel.1
@bradhall75

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The Poetry Exchange by @thistooisholy, August Edition.
Prompt - Scar
🎨 + 🖼️ - Canva

My Collars - @lavendermorbs @minteaspc_

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✨ Join us for a night of expression, community, and celebration this Thursday! Our open mic nights have been growing strong for one year and we bring it full circle by welcoming back our first host, @minteaspc_

😊 Doors open at 5:30pm

🎤 Open Mic begins at 6pm

🖤 Soft close at 8:30

We are delighted to welcome Dylan Collins as our featured poet. Dylan is a special education teacher at Grant High School and published author of two full length poetry books, “Love Poems We Write Ourselves” and “In Our Hearts Slowly Built a Thunder”. He has toured nationally, ran writing workshops for youth and adults, coached Poetry Out Loud and a youth poetry slam team from Garner High School in North Carolina that won the state finals. Dylan founded the non-profit Word Humboldt poetry community and hosted the weekly spoken word open mic for six years in Arcata, California. He also helped host and produce Rhythm & Rhymes music/poetry event since 2023. He is excited to connect and inspire others to keep going through words.

Our host, Ben Sanchez, is a half-blind, self-taught artist that writes and sketches at the edges of blank space. His poetry was selected as a 2024 winner of the Inaugural ChapLip Library Series through Tuleburg Press. His writing has appeared in The Fire Within: Labor, Art & The Human Spirit and Center of Attention: Poems on Stockton and San Joaquin. Featured work was selected in 2024 and 2025 through Instagram poetry accounts. Ben is inspired by several individuals who continue to support his journey.

#openmic #poet #fyp #indiebookstore #rhymesayers

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Scars 🗺️📍

#thepoetryexchangettih

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✨ Meet the Artists ✨ Friday, May 8th, 5:00 - 8:00 PM

We are thrilled to launch our nonprofit arm, The Bibliophile Collective For the Arts, by sponsoring local artists in our community! Local poets Benjamin M. Sanchez and Melchor Sahagun III are joining the Art + Lit Walk this Friday. Each is a multi-talented artist from Stockton, and you don’t want to miss their incredible work!

Benjamin M. Sanchez has an MA in Mass Communication from University of the Pacific, and his poetry was selected as a 2024 winner of the Inaugural ChapLip Library Series through Tuleburg Press. His writing has appeared in The Fire Within: Labor, Art & The Human Spirit and Center of Attention: Poems on Stockton and San Joaquin. Featured work was selected in 2024 and 2025 through Instagram poetry accounts. His artwork and poetry will be available this Friday.

Melchor Sahagun III is a Mexican-American poet from Stockton, CA, whose work uses the lyrical and abstract to express his emotional response to a strangely odd, terrifying, and beautiful world. He also said to mention that he LOVES cats. His debut collection of poetry, Sorry I’m Late, was published by Tuleburg Press in 2023 and will be available this Friday.

#poetry #fyp #bibliophile #supportlocalartists #poet

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