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Bill Knott reads widely from his work. This reading includes poems from Becos (1983), Outremer (1989), and Poems 1963-1988 (1989), as well as work collected later. 

C. K. Williams reads poetry primarily from I Am the Bitter Name (1972). He also reads several ribald pieces (that remain uncollected), showcasing his humor and imagination.

James Tate returns to read for the Poetry Center for the first time since 1968, performing poems from several books.

Sherman Alexie reads widely from his work and engages the audience with stories characterized by his signature humor.

Shannon Cain reads a story from her collection The Necessity of Certain Behaviors (2011) as part of the University of Arizona Prose Series. This reading was originally given with Lydia Millet.

Lydia Millet reads from her novel Magnificence (2012) as part of the University of Arizona Prose Series. This reading was originally given with Shannon Cain.

Poetry Center Summer Resident Polly Rosenwaike reads an excerpt from the short story Grow Your Eyelashes. This reading was originally given with Samuel Ace and Dexter L. Booth.

Monica Youn reads poems from Ignatz (2010).

Matthea Harvey reads primarily from Sad Little Breathing Machine (2004). This reading was originally given with Olena Kalytiak Davis and James Thomas Stevens for the Next Word in Poetry Series.

Monique Wittig and Sande Zeig read for the Writers At Work Series. Wittig and Zeig team to play the parts of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in a play written by Wittig and translated by Zeig, Le Voyage sans fin (The Constant Journey, 1985), based on Miguel de Cervantes's classic novel. Before performing the play, Wittig gives a brief talk explaining the role of transposition and gender roles in her adaption of Cervantes's work.

Sandra Cisneros reads uncollected poems at the Phoenix Art Museum. This reading was originally given with Rita Dove and Joy Harjo in partnership with ArchiTEXTS: A Conversation Across Languages with Natalie Diaz.

Charles Yu reads "Origin Story," a draft of a chapter from his novel Interior Chinatown (2020). This reading was originally given with Kristen Radtke.

Tommy Pico reads from his book-length poems Junk (2018), published the year of this reading, and Feed (2019), published the year after this reading. He also reads one poem from Morgan Parker's There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé (2017). This reading was originally given with Morgan Parker as part of the Morgan Lucas Schuldt Memorial Reading Series.

Morgan Parker reads from her third poetry collection, Magical Negro (2019), which would be published the year after this reading. She also reads an excerpt from Tommy Pico's Nature Poem (2017). This reading was originally given with Tommy Pico as part of the Morgan Lucas Schuldt Memorial Reading Series. 

Venita Blackburn reads from Black Jesus and Other Superheroes (2017) as well as one story, "Fam," that would later appear in her collection How to Wrestle a Girl (2021).

Carl Phillips reads poems from Wild Is the Wind (2018) along with other poems that would later appear in the chapbook Star Map with Action Figures (2019) and the collection Pale Colors in a Tall Field (2020). 

Nicole Walker reads from her essay collection Sustainability: A Love Story (2018).