Second Sunday Readings is a live reading series dedicated to providing poets with a platform and poetry lovers with a place to hear what they crave.

About 2nd Sunday: History

Second Sunday Readings originated in 2017 at Britt Marie’s restaurant on Solano Avenue in Albany, California. Restaurant owner Timo Rodriguez asked friend & poet Barb Reynolds to create a poetry reading for one Sunday in June. Barb grabbed fellow poets Kathryn Jordan & Penelope Barnes Thompson and the three of them gave a reading, which was packed. Timo turned to Barb and asked, “Will you create a regular series??” And Barb said yes.

2nd Sunday flourished, featuring a wide array of emerging and established poets. The cozy & intimate setting of a restaurant/bar during off-hours, along with our warm & welcoming audience, have combined to make it a rich experience for both reader and listener. Barb retired from the series in 2019 and selected Siân Killingsworth as the next poet to lead the series.

Staff

Siân Killingsworth, host/curator for 2nd Sunday Readings, is a writer living in Northern California. Her work has been published in journals such as the Blue Earth Review, Typehouse Literary JournalStonecoast ReviewGlass: A Journal of Poetry (Poets Resist), and other journals and anthologies. She received an MFA from the New School, where she worked on the staff of Lit. She founded and ran a poetry reading series hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn.  Siân taught English Composition for the City University of New York at York College and has led poetry craft workshops in Brooklyn, Boston, and San Francisco. She currently serves as the Members’ Anthology Editor for the Marin Poetry Center and is a poetry reader for Kitchen Table Quarterly.

Glenn Sauber is the technology supervisor and digital bouncer for 2nd Sunday Readings. He spent many years producing, shooting, and editing videos, and is happily married with three great kids. He is just happy to be here.