In this wacky and fabulous literary event full of quips, repartee, and wordplay, emcee Daniel Handler pitches prompts from the audience to two teams of poets who wield their poems to compete for the series title. Umpires Randall Mann and Julie B Levine will call the shots. The lineup includes poets Armen Davoudian, Luiza Flynn-Goodlett, Christian Gullette, Michal "MJ" Jones, Mia Ayumi Malhotra, and Yaccaira Salvatierra. Beer, popcorn and ballpark music make this a not-to-be missed outing.

EMCEE

Daniel Handler’s seven novels include Why We Broke Up, All The Dirty Parts and Bottle Grove. As Lemony Snicket, he is the author of far too many books for children, including Poison for Breakfast, All The Wrong Questions and A Series of Unfortunate Events, adapted for screen and television. His latest book is a memoir, And Then? And Then What Else? 


UMPIRES 
Randall Mann is the author of six collections of poetry, including Deal: New and Selected Poems. He is also the author of a book of criticism, The Illusion of Intimacy: On Poetry. 

Julia B Levine’s books include Ordinary Psalms (LSU 2021), Small Disasters Seen in Sunlight (LSU 2014, Northern California Book Award winner), and a new chapbook forthcoming in 2025. Other recognitions: a Pushcart Prize, a Discovery Prize, & an American Academy of Poetry Poet Laureate Fellowship. 

PLAYERS
Armen Davoudian grew up in Isfahan, Iran, and is the author of the poetry collection The Palace of Forty Pillars, which was long-listed for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the translator, from Persian, of Hopscotch by Fatemeh Shams. Photo by Matthew Lansburgh

Luiza Flynn-Goodlett is the author of Mud in Our Mouths and Look Alive, along with numerous chapbooks, most recently Familiar. She serves as a poetry editor for the LGBTQIA2S+ literary journal and press Foglifter. 

Christian Gullette’s debut poetry collection Coachella Elegy received praise in The Washington Post and was named one of 2024’s best books of poetry by Lit Hub. He is the editor of The Cortland Review. 

Michal ‘MJ’ Jones is a poet & parent based in the Bay Area. They have a debut full-length poetry collection, HOOD VACATIONS from Black Lawrence Press, and a chapbook, SOFT ARMOR, from Nomadic Press. 

Mia Ayumi Malhotra is the author of Mothersalt (forthcoming May 2025) and Isako Isako, winner of the Alice James Award and a National Indie Excellence Award. She teaches poetry at Left Margin LIT in Berkeley.

Yaccaira Salvatierra is a poet, translator, and dedicated educator for over 20 years while raising her two sons as a single parent. Her debut collection, Sons of Salt, was deemed one of the “Best Books for Adults 2024” by the New York Public Library. She lives in Oakland, where she teaches literacy and poetry to youth.