Tucson's thriving poetry scene adds another accolade as TC Tolbert, the town's poet laureate, receives the Academy of American Poets $100,000 Laureate Fellowship.

Tolbert is a lecturer at the University of Arizona and is one of 13 poets nationwide to be honored with this fellowship.

"I'm absolutely humbled by this award and deeply grateful that the committee recognizes the necessity of amplifying the many voices of Tucson's trans, non-binary, and queer communities," said Tolbert, who identifies as trans and genderqueer.

The Academy of American Poets was founded in 1934 and works to champion poets, poetry and the work of poetry organizations. The Laureate Fellowship is a new award and this year reflects the theme of Poetry and Democracy.

"By supporting poets laureate at the state and local level, we hope to ensure that more people become acquainted with poets and poetry where they live and have an opportunity to benefit from innovative and groundbreaking programming close to home," said Michael Jacobs, chairman of the Academy of American Poets.

Tolbert already has plans to put the fellowship money to good use, and will conduct a series of workshops for primarily youth trans, non-binary, and queer, or TNBQ groups. The money will also go towards creating a series of public installations highlighting TNBQ and LGBTQ+ voices and issues across Tucson.

Tolbert earned a master's degree in creative writing with a specialization in poetry from the UA in 2005 and is the author of Gephyromania and four chapbooks of poetry.

"This is a fantastic honor for TC, who's one of our very favorite MFA alumni for both the quality of their work, as well as the attention to the local that's been a huge part of TC's presence and ethos as a teacher, writer, poet laureate and citizen," said Ander Monson, director of the UA Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. "This honor is well deserved, very gratifying and not in the least surprising."

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Tucson Poetry Festival:

Poetry is everywhere this week! Along with the announcement of TC Tolbert's award, the Tucson Poetry Festival is taking place around town this weekend. Founded in 1981, the Tucson Poetry Festival works to celebrate, expand and create an audience for contemporary poetry in Tucson. Throughout a series of events, both local and visiting poets will share their work with the community. Find a full list of events on their website here.

Special events not to miss:

Kick-Off Reading for the 36th Annual Tucson Poetry Festival - This event will take place Thursday, April 25 at the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center. Local poets Kristen Nelson and Aura Valdes will read from their work and start off the festival for the year. 6:30 p.m. Donations requested. Details here.

Poetry Party - Want to celebrate poetry with a side of fun? Party at Cafe Passe Friday night (April 26) and try the festival's signature cocktail "The Gesture." Ten percent of bar sales will go towards the festival fund for next year, so have a drink and help the festival as well! Sounds like a win-win. 9 p.m. Details here.

Finale Reading for the 36th Annual Tucson Poetry Festival - Although the finale reading, this isn't quite the last event for the festival but it's still one you won't want to miss. Head on over to Solar Culture on Saturday night to hear from national poets Angel Dominguez, Michael Klein, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, and 2018 National Student Poet Heather Laurel Jensen. 6:30 p.m. Donations requested. Details here.

Tucson Poetry Festival Presents: Community Open Mic - Now this one is, for real, the last event of the festival. So you had a busy weekend and you didn't make it to the other events, well there is still time! Fill your Sunday evening with poetry at Owl's Club, and if you are feeling brave, read one of your own poems! Sign-up opens at 6:30 p.m. reading starts at 7 p.m. Readings are limited to 2 to 3 minutes each. Details here.

A Couple of Smarties

“Clean or dirty?” The challenge itself was a joke. Gary “Hoodie” Hood, a cult leader of sorts for Laffs open mic-ers, used it often. He gave the impression he could do an hour of either.

Now it’s a common topic throughout the comedy industry. Fans follow both ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ comedy, according to their own standards, and commonly laugh at things that belie their inconsistency.

Clean comedy is having a moment, though. Locally, Clean Comedy Tucson offers monthly shows in Marana and Vail. Nationally the internet has brought us the family-friendly comedy channel Dry Bar.

Tucson-raised comedy success story Robert Mac has the scoop. “This group needed content for their cable network, so they decided to record a bunch of clean comedians at a place where they don’t serve alcohol. (Literally, Dry Bar) They have sort of cracked the code. They say a 100 million people in the US watch only clean comedy…. They have created this website and they put my clips on there, and my clips have 10 million views. So people have contacted me and asked me to work at their comedy clubs.”

It’s worth noting that Dry Bar just popped the cork on this project in January 2017. It now has four clubs in Utah, a YouTube channel and an iTunes app offering more than 100, hour-long comedy specials, for free, with nary an F-bomb.

Clean comedy is the hardest, and from the time he first stepped up to Laff’s open mic, Mac was universally understood to be a smart comic. He graduated cum laude from the UA’s nationally recognized creative writing program. Paired with his prodigious work ethic, his intellect and energy have delivered the dream. He lives by, for and about comedy.

To support his standup habit while living in San Francisco, Mac created a popular game-show-style tour of the city’s most historically notorious places. Now living in Washington, D.C., he hires out as a host for a Wedding Game Show of his own creation. He’s also surrounded there by opportunities to host, emcee and speak at corporate and government meetings and other functions.

“Standup is a tough gig because you’re constantly unemployed,” Mac says. “So you have to have a side hustle and another side hustle and another side hustle. I have to do these things in order to keep moving.”

With Dry Bar, though, Mac says, standup is becoming more remunerative for him. “This Dry Bar thing is very interesting, because they don’t sell drinks. So what they do is raise the ticket price (to $25 or $30). People drive for hours to come see a show so they’re paying attention. They’re financially and physically invested in the show, and it’s changed the whole (business) model of how comedy works, at least in the clean world.”

Hosted by Tucson Comedy, Mac performs his unique brand of smart, clean and often silly comedy at 7 p.m., Monday, April 29, at Laff’s Comedy Café. Reservations are $12 via eventbrite.

Aspiring comedians, promoters and venue owners also can attend his three-hour workshop, The Art, Business, and Craft of Stand-Up Comedy, from 3 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 30, also at Laffs. Registration is $50 via paypal.me/chadlehrman/50.

Now where did I stash that farthingale?

Shakespeare’s birthday is April 24! For the fifth year, the Tucson Fringe Festival hosts Beer with the Bard Pub Crawl in his honor. You can wear the outfits, overact the lines and relive the parts. Or you can just watch the fun and drink whatever you like. Details are at tucsonfringe.org. Tickets are $10 and $25 via shop.tucsonfringe.org. 

The first moments of 2182 Recording Company’s vinyl career begin with a single metallic chime building a dark ambience. Soon other alien sounds drift in: off-kilter strings, distant throat singing, sourceless noises skittering on the periphery. This is the landscape of Beyond All Defects, the new collaborative album by Sir Richard Bishop and W. David Oliphant, released by Bisbee-based record label 2182.

click to enlarge

Beyond All Defects

Bishop, guitarist and vocalist of the wildly experimental (and wonderful) Phoenix group Sun City Girls, brings no lack of imagination to the table in this collaboration with "sound artist" Oliphant, who's made a career out of fusing homemade instruments, tape distortion and occult atmospheres.

Beyond All Defects is an experimental album entrenched in the hypnotic sounds of Tibetan Buddhism. The ominous atmosphere is filled with indecipherable chants, droning horns and nearly submarine drums. With only six tracks on the album, many songs reach far past standard run times. But then again, there’s nothing standard about this album.

There is an incredible sense of space to Beyond All Defects, but at the same time it manages to feel claustrophobic (not in the pejorative sense). The mind-bending instrumentation combined with Tibetan motifs should make this album feel otherworldly to Westerners and any grounded souls alike. It is almost akin to a Lustmord of the far-East.

While the first half of Beyond All Defects is brutal in its rapid chanting and haunting sound collages, the second half opens up for more meditative ambience. But this is not to say the suspense and dissonance truly ever subside. The occasional field recordings bring the listener back to the surface, before the infernal timbres submerge them once again.

This is not for casual listening, and could more than likely send a listener to another plane of existence if they’re not careful.

2182 Recording Company

A collaborative endeavor by Oliphant, Robert Anderson, and Ryan J. Bruce, 2182 Recording Company aims to release music that engages "beyond just listening" and is "rooted in a history of creation in Arizona that involves people that were inspired and supported by people who do things differently".

Looking ahead past this first release, 2182 plans to release a triptych (or three-piece art project) from Sun City Girls, Sunn Trio and The Alternative Particle Choir. 2182 Recording Company, named after the 2182 kHz used as the distress frequency on shortwave radio, should certainly remain on the radar of any Arizonans seeking to hear things beyond the veil.

For more information, visit 2182recordingcompany.com

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Agave Heritage Festival. Back again, this festival is taking over downtown Tucson and exploring the “cultural, commercial, and culinary significance of the agave across borders.” There are plenty food and drink oriented events based around this spiny plant, such as Mezcal Crawl, the Marana Agave Farm Tour, the Agave Heritage Dinner, live demonstrations of agave roasting and much more. The Agave Heritage Festival runs from Wednesday, April 24, to Sunday, May 5. Details here.


Horizons–Student Spotlight. The UA has a nationally reputed dance program that teaches its students ballet, modern and jazz in equal amounts. As dancers prepare to graduate and take the stage at professional venues all over the world, the School of Dance presents this concert as a culmination of all of their work here in Tucson. The student choreography and diverse perspectives will have the whole audience looking forward to what lies on the horizon for the dancers. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, and Wednesday, April 24. 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 and April 27. 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 21. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. $25 GA, $23 senior/military/UA employees, $12 students. Details here.


Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Face it: You’d be a lot cooler if you knew more about mariachi music and Baile Folklorico. Especially if you knew how to perform either. This festival, which started in 1982 is your chance! Check out a mariachi or dancing workshop, or, if watching is more your style, you can attend the El Mariachi Canta Vocal Competition on Wednesday, April 24, the Showcase Concert on Thursday, April 25 or Festival Garibaldi on Saturday, April 27. At the Espectacular Concert on Friday, April 26, watch some of the best performers in the country showcasing the culture, music and dance of mariachi. The festival runs from Wednesday, April 24 through Saturday, April 27. Casino Del Sol Resort, AVA Amphitheatre, 5655 W. Valencia Road. Event times and ticket prices vary. Details here.

History of Pharmacy Museum tour. Did you know the UA has a History of Pharmacy Museum? And seriously, what’s more interesting than learning about all of the ways people used to treat diseases that seem so outlandish to us now? The museum has thousands of artifacts, from old drug containers and bottles to photos to chewing gum that belonged to John Dillinger himself. There’s even a full-scale replica of an old fashioned drug store. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 24. Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Center & Drachman Hall, 1295 N. Martin Ave. Free, but reservations required! Details here.

Art Opening: Gina Beca. The Agave Heritage Festival is going on this week, and there are all sorts of exciting events going on. A chance to see Gina Beca’s depictions of the female form and desert landscapes on display at Hotel Congress is just one of them. Her warm, pale pieces depict beauty, resilience and whimsy in equal parts. Come on down to one of the coziest hotels around for the opening reception of Beca’s work. 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free. Details here.

Events compiled by Briannon Wilfong, Emily Dieckman, B.S. Eliot and Jeff Gardner.

“Extra, extra, read all about it.” Australian contemporary Christian artists the Newsboys spread the word about the “Greatness Of Our God” at the Pima County Fair. Details here.

Courtesy of Monterey Court Studio Galleries & Cafe

Award-winning western singer-songwriter Carolyn Markstrom is joined by much lauded Texas singer-songwriter Jim Jones at Monterey Court. Details here.
In a touring songwriter showcase, Jude Valentine, Jarod W. Spencer, Alice Caroline and Ranelle Mathews tell tales at Passé. Details here.

Mississippian garage punks Bass Drum of Death lead the sonic procession towards “Better Days.” At Club Congress. Details here.

In what may prove to be an evening of bedlam and unadulterated fun, Nashvillian surf rockers Los Straitjackets and Igor and The Red Elvises descend upon 191 Toole. Details here.

It's a classic quid pro quo. The Koch brothers' network of donors helped fund then-Treasurer Doug Ducey's 2012 campaign against a one cent sales tax for schools, then it contributed big bucks to his gubernatorial campaigns. In return, Ducey made sure state funds go to the latest additions to the Koch's nationwide network of think tanks and university outposts: UA's Freedom Center and ASU's School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.

Ducey gets a few millions in contributions. The many-tentacled Koch network, often referred to as the Kochtapus, gets $7.5 million a year from the state to extend its influence. Small investment, big return. That's how the rich and powerful like to do things.

In 2014, 2015 and 2016, UA's Freedom Center received half a million dollars each year from the state. In 2017, the amount increased to three-quarters of a million. In 2018 and 2019 it leapt to $3.5 million. It's on track to get the same amount in this year's budget.

ASU's School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership began getting state funding in 2016, with half a million. In 2017 it went up to three-quarters of a million. In 2018, 2019 and most likely in this year's budget, its allocation is $4 million.

Over the last few years, the two programs have pulled in a total of $7.5 million per year.

From Pima County Public Library: Come talk to us! We're listening!

Whether you currently use the Library or not, we hope you’ll join us at two facilitated community meetings to discuss how the Library can better serve you in the future. These meetings are free and open to the public.

Register online here

Friday, April 26, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Flowing Wells Library at 1730 W. Wetmore Road

Saturday, April 27, 10 to 11 a.m.
Valencia Library at 202 W. Valencia Road
Spanish interpretation will be provided at this session.

There are no right or wrong answers, however we do ask that you respect others' opinions, speak clearly and share your viewpoints one at a time to allow everyone a chance to participate.

A variety of topics will be covered:

• What you do at the library, including physical or digital usage
• Which locations you frequent
• How you think library spaces should change in the future
• How you anticipate your community changing and how it will impact library use
• What is the most important role of the library in the future

Feedback will be collected verbally and on paper. Surveys will be offered in both English and Spanish.

“Hello! My name is Fabel. I am a one-year-old girl with a big smile and a sweet bark. I am crate trained and I have been playing a lot in our dog behavior play groups. I would like to meet any dogs that live in your home to see if we are compatible! You can bring them to HSSA Main Campus to our dog meet and greet rooms. Hope to meet you soon!”

- Fabel

If you’d like to learn more about adopting Fabel, call an adoption counselor at 520-327-6088, ext. 173. 

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