The Richmond Anthology of Poetry: 62 Voices from California’s City of Pride and Purpose, Norfolk Press, 2017; created and edited by Daniel Ari with a grant from the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission Release events at Kaleidoscope Coffee, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Richmond Public Library
Agreement Press, founded in 1998, is the publishing venture of Daniel and Lauren Ari and produced these books of poetry and art: IMUNURI, anthology of 6 poets, 2012; Performances in Portland, Oakland, Richmond Monster Poems, 2012; Performances at The Marsh Theater, Berkeley and San Francisco Junk Drawer, 2011; Release event at Firehouse Collective, Berkeley Dandelions, 2005; Performances in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Oakland, San Francisco Ari wedding keepsake, 2000 Bass Line Dada Version Book, 1999; Performances with band in Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Fairfax, and Hanford, CA We Agree,1998; Performances in San Francisco
Self-published chapbooks Positive Space, 1996; Performance in San Francisco Buildings with Voices, 1995; Performance in San Francisco The Michele Sequence, 1995 You Breathe As Daniel Gushes, 1995 Deal, 1994 Earth to Daniel, 1994
The Continuous Lover, my MFA manuscript, was printed by Arizona State University, 1992
Awards and Honors
Poet Laureate, Richmond, California, 2017-2019 Winner, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Strambotto, 2019 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Catena Rondo, 2019 Honorable Mention, Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, 2018 Honorable Mention, Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, 2017 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Diminishing Verse, 2017 Winner, Eric Hoffer Da Vinci Eye Award for One Way to Ask, 2017 Finalist, Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry for One Way to Ask, 2016 Grantee, Richmond Arts & Culture Commission Neighborhood Arts Grant, 2016 Grand Prize, Dancing Poetry Festival, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco 2015 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Decima, 2015 Featured Poet, Edwin E. Smith Quarterly Review, 2014 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Madrigal, 2014 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Sijo, 2014 Limerick of the Week, Mad Kane's Humor Blog: four times 2012–2014 Winner, Cardinal Sins Journal “Expansion” Poetry Contest, 2013 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Pantoum, 2013 Top 25, Poetic Asides Poem-a-Day Challenge, 2012 Honorable Mention, Wild Age Press “Anything Goes” Poetry Contest, 2012 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Luc-Bat, 2012. Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Quatern, 2012 Winner, A Drift of Bubbles Dominotion Contest winner 2012 Winner, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: The Bop, 2011 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Sevenling, 2011 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Rondeau, 2010 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Cascade, 2010 Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Ghazal, 2010
2019 Writer's Digest, "Chant des Morts," Winner, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Strambotto The Wayfarer, "Another purpose in writing" and "On this path" (forthcoming) Winner, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Strambotto: "Chant des morts" Top Ten, Writer's Digest Poetry Form Contest: Catena Rondo: "Bat Mitzvah"
Before 2010 Jack Magazine, "A second's salvation from Touchdown Jesus," "if every word's a diving board," 2009 McSweeney's Internet Tendency: "How to build a sestina template in Microsoft Excel" 2007 Pearl Necklace, "The poem I found outside," "Where we go," "World lines," "Leaving Babylon," 2006 Tattoo Highway, "Vegas Kills Me," 2002 Tattoo Highway, "911," Illustrated by Lauren Ari, 2001 BigEmpire, "New Vegas Poem," 2000 Pearl, "Honesty Rain," Illustrated by Lauren Ari, 1998 Contact Quarterly, "Shared Poem about Sex," 1996 Pearl, "Michele," "Michele," and "Michele," 1995 The Writing Self, "Compound Revelations I," 1995 The Joy of the Journey (anthology), "Collector of Collections," 1995 The Amethyst Review, "Learn That Poy-m," 1995 Silent But Deadly, "An Ocean Poem, A Mother Poem, and Another Poem," 1995 SPSM&H, "A Stage-Goose," 1994 Liberty Hill Review, "September, 1994," 1994 Pearl, "Synonyms," 1993 Poems in Slur, Kaspahraster, The Angle and other small press pubs, 1989-1994 Spontaneous Overflow, "The other January of 1989," 1989
10/17/20 Colossus: Home reading online 1/14/20 Bazaar Cafe Writing Salon with Peter Kline, San Francisco 11/16/19 Rolling Writers: Shakespeare Night, San Francisco: Sonnet 18 explication and response (Queron 18) 8/7/19 Alameda Island Poets, Frank Betts Art Center, Alameda: featured reader with Rob Lipton 6/2/19 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ, "Waking Dream" 5/26/19 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ, "Rollacoasta" 5/15/19, Rolling Writers: Rolling in the Aisles (Humor Night), San Francisco: "The Legend of Rutherford B." 3/17/19 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ, "Keeping Things Whole" 2/3/19 Presenting You, The Writing Salon, Berkeley 2/3/19 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 12/16/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 10/27/18 The Best Poem Ever (panel discussion), Bridge Storage and ArtSpace, Richmond 9/28/18 Beat Poetry Festival, Chief Sullivan's, San Francisco 9/27/18 Red River Radio Tales from the Pages hosted by Barbara Ehrentreu 8/27/18 Bay Area Generations #60, Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland 7/14/18 Richmond Poets Laureate Present, Bridge Storage and ArtSpace, Richmond 7/8/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 6/25/18 Bay Area Generations #58, Geoffrey’s Club, Oakland 5/15/18, Rolling Writers: Rolling in the Aisles (Humor Night), San Francisco: Fasterpieces 4/30/18 Monday Night Marsh, Marsh Theater, Berkeley: “Mirabai & The Faeries” 4/29/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 4/27/18 Richmond Poets Laureate Present, Kaleidoscope Coffee, Richmond: performance TBD 4/26/18 Literary Speakeasy, National Poetry Month Edition, Martuni’s, San Francisco, poems by La Loca (Pamala Karol) and Daniel Ari 4/16/18 Monday Night Marsh, Marsh Theater, Berkeley: “Mirabai & The Faeries” 3/18/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 2/26/18, Bay Area Generations #54, Bellevue Club, Oakland: two meditation poems 2/11/18 Writes of Winter, Kaleidoscope Coffee, Richmond: organizer, emcee and reader 1/21/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 1/14/18 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 12/24/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 11/19/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 11/11/17, Rolling Writers: Shakespeare Night, San Francisco: Peter Quince’s monologue 11/5/17, The Poetry Brothel, The Great Northern, San Francisco: performing as “Lars Poetica” 10/29/17, Open Studio, Ari Residence, Richmond: readings 10/26/17, About a Girl by Natasha Dennerstein release, Alleycat Book, San Francisco: guest reader 10/1/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 9/25/17, Bay Area Generations #49, The Bindery, San Francisco: guest curator 8/28/17, Bay Area Generations #48, Bellevue Club, Oakland: “If I can hear you chewing…” 8/27/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 7/30/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 6/26/17, Bay Area Generations #46, Bellevue Club, Oakland: “When I had to explain non-binary to a beginner” 6/25/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 6/18/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 6/4/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 5/26/17 One Way to Ask reading, Richmond Public Library, Richmond 5/12-13/17 Wing It, InterPlayce, Oakland: Ensemble 5/4/17 Poet Laureate Honors and Reading, Richmond City Hall, Richmond: Poet Laureate 4/24/17, Bay Area Generations #44, Bellevue Club, Oakland: two faerie poems 4/22/17, Richmond Anthology of Poetry reading, Richmond Public Library, Richmond: editor, host and reader 4/16/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 4/9/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 3/26/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 3/23/17 Just Breathe: Storytelling Night, Kala Arts Institute, Berkeley: storyteller 2/28/17 Tell It On Tuesday, The Marsh Theater, Berkeley: Scenes from The Trip 2/27/17 Bay Area Generations #42, Bellevue Club, Oakland: Selections from The Trip 2/16/17 Jazz and Poetry, Jerad’s Pottery, Richmond: reader 2/10/17 Exit Theater, San Francisco: “Shakespeare v. Skymall” solo performance 1/29/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 1/1/17 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 12/25/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 12/18/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 12/15/16, Richmond Anthology of Poetry reading, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Richmond: editor, host and reader 12/10/16, Richmond Anthology of Poetry reading, Kaleidoscope Coffee, Richmond: editor, host and reader 11/20/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 11/27/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 10/30/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 10/23/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 10/9/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 8/24/16 Hook, Line and Sinker, Octopus Literary Salon, Oakland: "Melancholy Cola" 8/14/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 8/4/15 Oakland Rotary Club: Guest Speaker, “Cummings and Goings: Super States of Language” 7/17/16 Soul Sanctuary Dance, Ashkenaz, Berkeley: DJ 5/14/16 One Way to Ask book performance, Interplayce, Oakland 4/13/16 One Way to Ask book reading, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Richmond 3/15/16 One Way to Ask book release and reading, Norfolk Press, San Francisco 10/27/15 The Moth GrandSLAM, Castro Theater, San Francisco: storyteller 8/31/15 Nerd Night, East Bay, Oakland: “Cummings and Goings: Super States of Language” 4/28/15 Tell It On Tuesday, The Marsh Theater, Berkeley: ““ask me whether what i have done is my life” 2/26/13 Tell It On Tuesday, The Marsh Theater, Berkeley: “Shakespeare v. Skymall” August 2012 IMUNURI interactive poetry happening, Richmond 2/24/12 Oakland Indie Mayhem: North American Time by Adrienne Rich, virtual reading November 2011 IMUNURI interactive poetry happening, Revolutionary Cafe, Portland 5/31/11 Tell It On Tuesday, The Marsh Theater, Berkeley: “I Knew a Woman” 3/11/11 Junk Drawer chapbook release and reception, Firehouse Collective, Berkeley 11/19/10 Site-specific performance at Haggin Marketing, Mill Valley: “Free Is In” 3/30/10 Tell It On Tuesday, The Marsh Theater, Berkeley: “arising fall” 5/26/09 Tell It On Tuesday, Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley: solo accordion 4/29/09 Tell It On Tuesday, Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley: “Fights With Poems” Summers 2004-2007 Monsters of Accordion Tour with Jason Webley and Duckmandu, venues in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, San Francisco, Oakland Ongoing or Sporadic Performances at The Moth, Katz Literary Salon, WingIt Performance Ensemble, Tell It On Tuesday, Monday NIght Marsh, The Ari Residence, and elsewhere Fights With Poems is the overarching title of a series of theatrical presentations of favorite poems performed in Richmond, Berkeley, San Francisco and elsewhere, 2009-2013.
Prior to the life change that came with becoming a father, I performed with my bands, Bass Line Dada and Blase Suave, and alone on accordion, performed in dance and theater productions, did stand-up comedy, participated in site-specific guerilla theater events in addition to performing poetry and storytelling. My history of performance goes back to early childhood.
Summer 2020: Creating Writing Teacher for Brandeis Marin School community, grades 8-adult Summer 2020: Creative Writing Teacher through Publicis Groupe Summer Schooling program, grades 8-12 January 2018-present: Performance Teacher and Coach at The Writing Salon, Berkeley July 2018-present: Generative Writing Teacher at The Writing Salon, Berkeley 2016-present: Poetry Consultant, offering one-on-one feedback and guidance, Richmond 2018-2019: Guest speaker at Brandeis Marin School, San Rafael 2018-2019: Creative consultant on The Fertile Void podcast by Midnight Rose 2018: Guest speaker at Tehiyah Middle School 2010–2018: Leader, creative writing group, Richmond 2017: Guest curator of Bay Area Generations #49, San Francisco 2015: Guest lecturer at Santa Ana City College, Santa Ana 2015: Presenter at Writer’s Forum: Techniques for Sparking Creativity, Petaluma 2014: Presenter at Writer’s Forum: Somersaults for Editing Poetry, Petaluma 2014: Teacher at ArtPlunge, an Interplay event, Berkeley 2012: Guest Lecturer on creativity and improvisation, California College of the Arts, San Francisco 2004–2006: Co-leader, Improv Arts, Los Gatos 2003–2006: Co-creator, Holding a Space arts workshops, Richmond and Los Gatos 2000:Guest Lecturer on creativity and improvisation, Cal State Hayward 1999-2004:Leader, Poetry Slide, creative writing group, Oakland 1993-1995: Teacher, Institute of Reading Development, Berkeley 1991-1992: Writer in Residence, YMCA Writer’s Voice Project, Maricopa County, AZ 1983-1985: Religious school teacher, Temple Beth David, Westminster, CA
Blogs
Inlaid Ear: sole proprietor, December, 2010-present IMUNURI: contributor, facilitator and founder with Marna Cosmos, 2010–2013 Writer's Digest Poetic Asides, guest blogger and participant, 2009–present BigEmpire.com: contributor, 1999-2006
Professional writing
As a professional copywriter for 25 years, I have written content across media and across industries for companies including 24 Hour Fitness, AAA, Amazon, American Express, Art.com, AT&T, Bare Necessities, Bed Bath and Beyond, Big Fish Games, Black Rock Gazette, Boudin Bakery, Bowflex, Brookdale Senior Living, Centralink, Central Garden & Pet, Chevron, Cintas, Conscious Dancer, Dance Magazine, Dell Computers, Del Monte, Delta Air, eBay, Epsilon, Farnam, Fingerhut, Flexera, Fox Design Group, Gemological Institute of America, Gold’s Gym, Google, Google Partners Podcast, Haggin Marketing, Hall Winery, HealthAlliant, Hitachi, Horse Health, Jagwire Design, Kaehler, Mervyns, National Luggage Distributors Association, Nautilus, Nestle, ObjectWare, Office Depot, PayPal, Redbox, Ryan Partnership, Safeway, San Diego Zoo, San Pelegrino, Schwinn, Sears, SelfCare Catalog, Shire, Skymall, SolutionSet, Sound & Video Contractor, Sunglass Hut, Super, Supercell, TXU Energy, USAA, VitaFlex, Writer’s Digest, and many other companies, organizations and individuals.
Education
Hakomi Comprehensive Training Hakomi Institute of California, 2019.
M.F.A. Poetry, Chaired by Norman Dubie, Alberto Rios, Beckian Fritz-Goldberg Arizona State University, 1992.
B.A. English, writing emphasis, Humanities Honors Program, Scholastic Merit Award Mentored by Robert Peters University of California, Irvine, 1990.