Name: Second Tuesday Poetry featuring Tara Rico and Juan Luzuriaga
Start: 2026-01-13T19:00:00-08:00
Location: Bookish Modesto

Second Tuesday Poetry featuring Tara Rico and Juan Luzuriaga

Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center is pleased to present Second Tuesday Poetry featuring Inaugural Poet Laureate of Manteca Tara Rico and San Luis Obispo poet Juan Luzuriaga
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm PST
Where: Bookish Modesto, 811 W. Roseburg Ave, in the Roseburg Square shopping center
The reading is free; drinks, snacks, and books are available for purchase at Bookish. Open mic following featured poets (3 min per poet); sign up at the event. Hosted by Gillian Wegener
Tara Rico
Tara Rico(she/her/ella) is a writer, educator, and activist. She is also Manteca’s proud inaugural Poet Laureate. Born and raised in the Central Valley, Tara completed her BA in English Education and MA in Education at CSU Dominguez Hills in Southern California where she began her career as an English, Theater, and Journalism instructor.
Since returning home to the Central Valley in 2020, Tara has dedicated her time and talents to bringing “poetry to the people” through writing workshops, and community events. She also started Poeticas Film Festival where poets and filmmakers turn original poems into micro films.
In addition to poetry, Tara is the founder of MAS improv, and the coach for Modesto's own improv troupe: The ModPlayers!

Juan Luzuriaga
Juan Luzuriaga was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and immigrated to the U.S. at 16 in 2000. He studied Neuroscience at Rutgers University and English at UC Merced. He teaches poetry in prisons, at Cuesta College, and California Poets in the Schools. He has been a featured panelist at UC Merced, Cuesta College Central Coast Writers' Conference, Litfest and more, and he is a featured panelist at the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference Poetry Summit.
He has been published in Acentos Review, San Diego Poetry Annual, Monterey Poetry Review, Cholla Needles, Poetry Breakfast, Matchbox Magazine, and in the anthologies Silence Is Consent, To Be Completely Honest, and Method Writers Speak. His collection, Chimborazo Whispers, is forthcoming from Blue Light Press.