June 10
POETS
READ THE ROOM
A POETRY SERIES
GET TICKETS NOW
Wednesday,
June 10.
Doors at 6 pm, Poetry at 6:30 pm
FOUR POETS WILL TAKE THE STAGE!
If you love it, clap, snap and make some noise.
If you extra love it, drop them a tip at their venmo.
Want to take some poetry home? It’s a great idea.
Before and after the show many poets
from the series will have their work for sale.
FINAL Show! 4 more poets!
Susan
Scheid
WHO IS SUSAN?
SUSAN SCHEID is the author of True Blue, published October 2025.
Her first book, After Enchantment, was inspired by beloved fairy tale characters. Susan honed her craft while working for many years as a Legal Secretary. She was inspired by her father reading poems to her at bedtime and stories of him reading poetry to the other wounded soldiers in the medical hospital during WWII. Susan’s poetry has appeared most recently in Paddock Review, The Southern Quill, Blue Heron Review, The Mid-Atlantic Review, The Orchards Poetry Journal, and Burgeon Press as well as other literary journals. Her work is included in the anthologies, Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic, Enchantment of the Ordinary, Poetic Art, and the forthcoming Turning Poetry into Food. Susan served for a number of years as the Board co-chair for Split This Rock. She lives in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, DC.
Carlota
Roby
WHO IS CARLOTA?
Carlota Roby is a human rights attorney graduated from Harvard Law School and co-founder of the Vocales Verticales project.
She is also a poet and a cat lover. Originally from Venezuela, she resides in Washington D.C. She has published the poetry collections 'Las Manos de los Muertos' (2013); 'Suburban Tales' (2019); and 'Lilith' (2024). Her poems also appear in the anthology 'Acaso esta atrocidad es el centro de todo' (2015) and in the magazines DAFY and Ámsterdam Sur." Her book "Lilith" is now available. Published by the Chilean publishing house Editorial Tintapujo, in both English and Spanish.
Adrian
Gaston
Garcia (AGG)
WHO IS AGG?
A queer Latine storyteller whose mission is to share narratives that build community. His work is a love letter to his younger self and a shout out to all the queer brown boys who choose joy as their form of resistance. His poems have been published in Latino Book Review, Split This Rock, A Gathering of the Tribes, and DC Pride Poems. He co-hosts Los Bookis Podcast and founded Tintas DC.
Adrian Gaston Garcia (aka AGG) is a queer Latine storyteller whose mission is to share narratives that build and nourish community. Originally from Chicago and now rooted in Washington, D.C. for the past 14 years, Adrian draws inspiration from theater, spoken word, and the intersectionality of his lived experience. His work is a love letter to his younger self, an ode to femininity, softness, and survival and a shout out to all the queer brown boys who choose joy as their form of resistance.
Adrian’s poetry and performances have been featured at the American Poetry Museum, BloomBars DC, Busboys and Poets, the DC Latino Book Festival, DC Pride Poems, DiVerse Gaithersburg, Dupont Underground, Homo Stanzas, The Nail Salon, Our Space Experience, World Poetry Festival, and Vocales Verticales.
His recent work includes co-directing and performing in Jotería: Our Untold Stories at Arena Stage during DC Latinx Pride and WorldPride 2025. He also served as creative co-director for Noche de Jotería: Variety Show and as executive producer and co-director of Oye DC. In 2024, he collaborated with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company to debut new work about grief, legacy, and healing after the passing of his father.
His poems have been published in Latino Book Review, Split This Rock, A Gathering of the Tribes, and DC Pride Poems. He was a featured poet at the District of Pride Showcase hosted by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs in 2023 and 2025, and a storyteller for Story District’s Out/Spoken Pride special in 2023.
He is the co-host and producer of Los Bookis Podcast, a podcast for queer Latine bookworms, and the founder of Tintas DC, a writers group centering Latine voices in the DMV. He is a graduate of the Spanish Sin Pena Academy, a 2023 202Creates resident, and currently serves as the 2025 Pride Poet in Residence at the Arts Club of Washington.
C. Alexandria
Bernard
WHO IS C. ALEXANDRIA?
An unstoppable force of creativity, activism, and inspiration. As a Queer Black Non-Binary Poet and survivor of child abuse, Chris has transformed lived experience into a life of service using poetry, teaching, and advocacy to champion healing and justice for marginalized communities.
C. was recognized as a Pioneer of Poetry by the National Underground Spoken Word Poetry Award (NUSPA) in 2015. They have the rare ability to captivate audiences as a performer while also guiding communities as a host, educator, and organizer.
Their work has been featured at leading institutions such as Georgetown University, Howard University, Angelina College, and Jefferson University, as well as cultural spaces.
Beyond the stage, C’s. impact reaches deep into community healing. They are a certified facilitator of Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® program, teaching adults how to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. Through their acclaimed workshop Writing to Wellness™, C. empowers survivors to use poetry as a tool for healing while navigating childhood trauma.
Their advocacy and artistry have earned honorable mentions from World Childhood Foundation USA, Buddy Speaks, and End the Harvest Ministries, and they made history as the first poet ever featured in Swerv Magazine. Their voice and vision have also appeared in The New York Times,
The Zebra, Canvas Rebel Magazine, and more.
With every performance, classroom, keynote, or workshop, C. embodies love in action. They stand as a beacon of hope and empowerment amplifying the voices of survivors, youth, and marginalized communities. Through poetry, advocacy, and a commitment to positive change, C. is shaping a more inclusive, compassionate world.
Teaching Artist Roles
2016 – Poetry Workshop Facilitator, Split This Rock (Washington, DC)
2017 – Poetry Specialist, DC SCORES (Washington, DC)
2018 – Teaching Artist, Change Conference (Washington, DC)
2019 – Resident Teaching Artist, Heard (Alexandria, VA), Teaching Artist, Carlos Rosario International Charter School (Washington, DC)
2020 – Resident Teaching Artist, Creative Suitland Arts Center (Suitland, MD), Summer Resident Teaching Artist, End the Harvest Ministries (Mt. Rainier, MD)
2022 – Teaching Artist, St. Charles High School (White Plains, MD), Teaching Artist, KIPP PCS (Washington, DC)
2023 – Teaching Artist, Georgetown University (Washington, DC), Lead Teaching Artist, Prince George’s Community College (Largo, MD), Teaching Artist, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (Suitland, MD)
2024 – Lead Teaching Artist, Brightwood Education Campus (Washington, DC), Lead Teaching Artist, Moten Elementary School (Washington, DC), Lead Teaching Artist, Chamberlain Elementary School (Washington, DC), Teaching Artist, Creative Minds PCS (Washington, DC), Lead Teaching Artist, Center City PCS – Congress Heights (Washington, DC), Lead Teaching Artist, Columbia Heights Educational Campus (Washington, DC)
Speaking & Community Engagements
2015 – Keynote Speaker, Child Abuse Prevention Awareness, Angelina College (Diboll, TX)
2016 – Keynote Speaker, Project Beacon of Hope Fundraiser (Washington, DC)
2022 – Keynote Speaker, Navigating Childhood Trauma Through Poetry, Prince George’s Community College (Largo, MD)
2022–2024 – Keynote Speaker & Pinwheel Garden Organizer, Child Abuse Prevention Awareness, Charles Hill Park (Alexandria, VA)
Publications
Moodz’ Ring (2004)
Voices Carry (2008)
Coloring Outside the Lines (2013)
Bernard’s Bedroom (2017)
Reclamation. (2023)
Depression Made Write This (2024)
Featured Publications
Stoked Words: An Anthology of Queer Poetry (2018)
Swerv Magazine (2018)
Imagoes: A Queer Anthology (2019)
Purple Poetry Book: A Survivor’s Anthology (2022)
Black Minds Publishing (2022)
The New York Times (2021)
The Zebra (2022)
Canvas Rebel Magazine (2023)
Bold New Journey Magazine (2024)
Awards & Honors
2017 – Authorized Stewards of Children Facilitator, Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center
2019 – Literary Fellowship, Split This Rock
2022 – Survivor Leadership Honoree, World Childhood Foundation USA
