Artist and Host
The Olive Tree: A Santa Cruz Poetry Open Mic
Sunday, July 19, 2026,
2pm - 6pm
$10 suggested donation for entry
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The Olive Tree is a poetry mic and public gathering space that seeks to honor the deeply rooted tradition of spoken word in Santa Cruz, while uplifting the emerging voices of today.
Each monthly event includes a free writing workshop, poetry open mic, with a featured reader at the end, highlighting new publications from local writers, as well as the works of touring poets.
The title of this event — The Olive Tree — has a multitude of meaning. A living symbol of life and resilience that has been cherished by many cultures for thousands of years, around the Mediterranean and beyond, olive trees are a living embodiment of our connection to other places around the world, and to all people who call the land home.
Informed by previous public offerings like The Word Church, Kinetic Poetics Project, Poetry Santa Cruz, among others, this space is intended to create a new opportunity for local poets of all ages and cultural backgrounds to express themselves honestly and emphatically on a public stage.
Follow @olivetreepoetrymic on Instagram to learn more, and we hope to see you there!
Program
2:30 - Free Writing Workshop
3:30 - Sign Up List
4:00 - Open Mic
5:00 - Featured Poet
$10 suggested donation for entry
4 minutes per performer
All Vinyl House Music
Featured Poet
Chris "L7" Cuadrado
Chris "L7" Cuadrado is a cultural worker and pro-people propagandist originally from Inglewood, CA. L7 uses words, sights, and sounds to further radical and critical thought. L7 draws from the aesthetic and political traditions of revolutionaries, agitators, and poor peoples movements from across the globe. L7 is committed to creating work that reflects the struggle of colonized and oppressed people, while aligning with their movements for liberation, self-determination, and decolonization.
About the Host