On October 15, 2026, Saint Joseph’s Arts Society will become the setting for a special milestone as Poolside Poets celebrates three years of poetry, performance, and community with Litquake.

Hosted by Rhea Joseph and Liz Cahill, and presented by Decentered Arts and Litquake, the anniversary evening will bring poetry, live music, dance, and fashion together beneath the soaring halls of the historic venue.

The night will invite guests to embrace a “Disco” dress code, transforming the space with shimmering looks, bold silhouettes, vintage finds, and upcycled pieces that capture the spirit of the dance floor.

The musical atmosphere will be shaped by Sakai and Hidden Thread Music, while poets Bridget Clancy, Shane King Zackery, Jair Griffin, Denise Maisel, Spinelli aka Emily Miller, James Morehead, Maya Cowan, and Papi Grande will bring their words to the stage.

Francis Senses will add movement to the evening through dance, creating another layer of expression within the celebration.

As doors open, guests will gather over themed cocktails and mocktails before the performances begin. From there, poetry, music, movement, and fashion will weave together into a night honoring both the history of Poolside Poets and the creative community that has grown around it.

Three years in, Poolside Poets will return to where it has always belonged: a shared space where artists, audiences, and imagination can come together and celebrate the power of live art.



Poolside Poets Anniversary x Litquake

Poolside Poets celebrates three years with Litquake, bringing poetry, disco fashion, live music, dance, and community to Saint Joseph’s Arts Society.


On the afternoon of March 14, 2026, North Beach transformed into a surreal wedding procession during the beloved Brides of March. Among the many stops along the route, The Golden Sardine hosted a particularly poetic celebration.

For a brief, magical window between 4:00 and 5:30 PM, the bar became a chapel of verse. Guests arrived dressed in bridal whites and playful wedding attire-lace veils, thrifted gowns, satin gloves, bouquets tucked under arms, tiaras slightly askew. Some wore vintage wedding dresses, others layered veils over everyday clothes, all joining the whimsical tradition of becoming brides for the day.

The reading gathered a radiant lineup of poets-each a “Bride of Poetry.” Voices rose one by one from the bridal party: Betsy Alma Ramazzini, Connie Lin, Elena Pinnen, Eyra Dordi, Katherine Okpara, Liz Cahill, Rhea Joseph, and Spinelli-each offering poems that moved between humor, tenderness, longing, and celebration.

The ceremony of words was accompanied by the “Bride of Song,” Anne‑Marie Russo, whose voice filled the room with music that wove gently between the readings, turning the gathering into something between a performance and a communal toast.

For that hour and a half, the Golden Sardine held a joyful congregation of poets, singers, and wandering brides from the streets of North Beach. Strangers became witnesses, laughter mingled with lyric lines, and the room glowed with the playful spirit of a wedding where everyone-performer or passerby-was welcome to join the bridal party.


The Brides of March 

Brides of Poetry gathered at The Golden Sardine during North Beach’s Brides of March-veiled poets and song filled the room.

Gen Blend: A monthly intergenerational writers potluck and open mic

**Every First Thursday  |  5:30 - 7:30pm**
Ruth's Table, 3160 21st St, San Francisco, CA 94110 | Free
Join Decentered Arts and our partners [Ruth's Table](https://www.ruthstable.org/), [Community Living Campaign](https://sfcommunityliving.org/), [Adobe Books](https://www.adobebooks.com/), and [Litquake's Elder Project](https://www.litquake.org/elderproject.html) for this inspirational event. Featuring Writers from the Community Living Campaign Writing Program, the Elder Project workshops, local writers across a wide age range, and YOU! Limited Open Mic time available for pieces under 3 minutes. 

This is a free event and potluck! Bring something to share! Beverages available. Each month a delectable culinary creation by Amirali Mir will be shared, as a generous contribution to our potluck.

**Visitor Guidelines: **Face masks are optional.
**Access: **Ruth’s Table gallery and adjacent green space are wheelchair accessible. 
**ASL Interpretation:  **ASL interpretation is available upon request. 72-hour notice required. 

**Registration:  **_Free and open to all. [RSVP here](mailto:contact@ruthstable.org?subject=RSVP%20For%20Gen%20Blend&body=Hello%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to%20RSVP%20for%20Gen%20Blend%20on%20Thursday%208%2F8%20at%205%3A30-7%3A30pm.%20Name(s)%3A)._

**Donate: **The program is free, donations are welcome. 

Support our mission further by making a tax deductible donation to DCA:
<https://givebutter.com/decentered>

**Support the Arts**

At Decentered Arts we believe in building resilient community through art of all mediums. To help achive this we produce Decentered Open Mic, Eventracker, Writers Group, Poolside Poets, curated events, and more to come!
Your support helps us keep this up and dream bigger.

[Donate](https://givebutter.com/decentered)



Gen Blend March 2025

An intergenerational writer's potluck and open mic. Every first Thursday at Ruth's Table.

Decentered Writers Group Anthology #1 Launch – Feb 13
On February 13, Decentered Arts celebrated the launch of its first book, _Writers Group Anthology Vol. 1_, with an intimate gathering at Page Street, generously hosted by Janis Newman. The evening featured reflections on the bookmaking process, an editors' talk, and powerful performances by several featured writers.
The night also marked the release of _Voices of Western Wind_, a spoken word album born from Decentered’s weekly writers group. Attendees mingled, shared inspiration, and picked up copies of the anthology, adorned with cover art by Cole Skaggs (@SuperxFancy). The event highlighted Decentered Arts’ mission to build community through multi-disciplinary creative expression.


Decentered Writers Group Anthology #1 Launch

Writers took the mic and the page—celebrating grief, joy, and weirdness in a book born from weekly creative ritual.

On an evening the Phoenix Hotel hosted Poolside Poets.

Guests came dressed in their best "Mystical Seduction"

Think: lace and velvet, sheer layers and harnesses, forest-fairy wings with leather boots, lingerie as outerwear, cutouts with mossy textures, corsets under billowy capes, sultry slip dresses and thigh-highs, iridescent body paint and avant-garde makeup, floral crowns with chains, chiffon layered with leather, mesh and velvet mashups, feathered collars and harness straps, moonlit sequins and earthy boots — mix & match: lace, velvet, mesh, leather, chiffon, sequins, harnesses, whatever summoned enchantment and desire

Featured Poets: Ben Draffin, Rhea Joseph, Liz Cahill, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Giovanna Lomanto, Denise Maisel, Blake Sugarman, Theory, Spinelli, Connie Lin, Jane

Featured Musician: Major Butta (Spotify: <https://open.spotify.com/artist/69whnvOI33go5sIHpIKpVq?si=Ziy8grTbR6OT1YazU1K_DA>)

Dancers: Jessica McCallum, Eline Castro & Gabby Wei


Poolside Poets June 2024

An evening of sexy poetry, live music and dance at the historic Phoenix Hotel. Brought to you by Decentered Arts, Rhea Joseph, Ben Draffin, Liz Cahill, and friends.

Becoming the Truth and Nightmaretime
Fri, Mar 22 – Sat, Mar 23 · 7:30pm–9:30pm PT

Hosted by Your Friends' Basement Theater Company | Key Collaborator: Decentered Arts

Your Friends' Basement Theater Company returned with a thrilling double feature: two one-act dramatic plays by the brilliant playwright Emily Elyse Everett. Guests gathered for a night of terror, heartbreak, and intense drama at Uzay Gallery—grateful for the event space, though forever basement people at heart.

The performances began promptly at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 7:00pm. The evening featured two shows, each around 30 minutes, with a brief transition between them, totaling about 65 minutes.

Nightmaretime
Directed by Natalie Lista
Cast: Alison White, Andre Hessini, Cameron McCallie, Caroline Willian, Chloe Coultrip, Chris Lowrie, Emily Bender, Lauren Gifford, Mo Rahman, Theory Song, and Violet Trachtenberg

Becoming the Truth
Directed by Violet Trachtenberg
Cast: Andre Hessini, Chloe Coultrip, Emily Miller, Grant Bremer, Natalie Lista, Sara Saavedra, and Theory Song

The plays bravely explored intense themes, including obsessive-compulsive thinking, disordered eating, psychological abuse, suicidal thoughts, psychiatric hospitalization, surgical violence, and sexual activity, with an emotional tone similar to a PG-13 experience.


Becoming the Truth and Nightmaretime

Two raw one-acts unleashed terror and heartbreak; guests braved the basement spirit in bold, bruised hearts and wild minds.

On an evening in early October the Phoenix Hotel hosted Poolside Poets.

Guests came dressed in their best "Meet Me at Sunset"

Think: sunset silks and sand-streaked denim, gauzy linens and terracotta, slip dress with sandals, straw hat and sunglasses, bronzed skin and bronzy highlighter, flowy kaftan and bare feet, linen blazer over a silk slip, crochet cover-up and heels, sundown sequins, warm ombre prints, driftwood neutrals, thrifted glam, sundress with combat boots, layered scarves and loose shirts, sun-kissed lipstick, last-light layers — mix & match: linen, silk, cotton, mesh, chiffon, leather, denim, whatever caught the golden hour glow

Featured Poets: Liz Cahill, Rhea Joseph, Spinelli, Theory, Giovanna Lomanto, Lorrie Chang, Denise Masiel, Charlie Getter, Jess McCallum, Maya Cowan, Sara Saavedra, Paul Reginato

Featured Musician: Alex in Waves <https://open.spotify.com/artist/71dmPddi53mtjP9lgacYjQ>

Dancers: Eline Castro, Gabby Wei & Heather Maitland


Poolside Poets October 2023

Guests glowed in golden-hour glam as poets, dancers, and musicians lit up the Phoenix Hotel for a dreamy poolside night.

Poems to Spit or Swallow
 📍 Sluts the Wine Bar
 📅 Thursday, April 27 | 7:00 PM PT
An evening of sultry poetry and pole dance unfolded at Sluts the Wine Bar, curated by Liz Cahill, Rhea Joseph, and Decentered Arts.
The public gathered under the theme of **“Lacy Lawless”**—guests arrived dressed in pillowy pastels or gothic splendor, channeling everything from innocent peaches to sultry scoundrels. Either way, the poetry pampered.
Doors opened at 7:00 PM, giving everyone time to sip wine, settle in, and sample Sluts' signature snacks.
The show began at 7:30 PM, featuring a fiery lineup of poets and surprise guests. At 8:45 PM, Sluts’ dancers took the stage, delivering a special pole performance that closed the evening with bold, unforgettable energy.
**Performers included:**
 Spinelli, Rachel Godin, Ariel Corbo, Giovanna Lomanto, Ayla Ginger, Justin Bagnall, Diego Plascencia-Vega, Caitlyn Wild, Theory, Giorgia Sage, Stacy G, Denise Maisel, Sara Saavedra, Ava Maag, Paul Reginato, Eric Svarr, Lorrie Chang, Eyra Dordi, Blake Sugarman, Liz Cahill, Rhea Joseph, Barbie, and surprise guests.
Thanks to all who joined and brought the heat.


Poems to Spit or Swallow at Sluts

Laced in pastel and gothic flair, guests sipped wine and soaked in sultry poetry and pole at Sluts the Wine Bar.

Decentered Poets: Making Space
📅 Saturday, March 11 | 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PT
📍 Uzay Gallery – a five-women arts collective in the Mission

Hosted by: Liz Cahill & Rhea Joseph

Guests gathered for a cozy, curated evening of poetry and music at Uzay Gallery. The night featured plant-based food and drinks, intimate performances, and room to mingle among shimmering looks and soft lighting.

The evening unfolded as follows:
Doors opened at 7:00 PM
Mingling from 7:00–7:45
Showtime from 7:45–8:45 (with no entry during performances)
Final mingling from 8:45–10:00ish

Attendees embraced the "sheer decadence" dress code, donning elegant pajamas, slips, organza, faerie wings, and other ethereal attire.

Performers included:
Ayla Ginger, Blake Sugarman, Charlie Getter, Dan Gorlick (on cello) & Vimbayi, Denise Masiel, Spinelli, Eyra Dordi, Giovanna Lomanto, Göksu, Liz Cahill, Lorrie Chang, Maya Cowan, Rachel Godin, Rhea Joseph, Romz (on synth), Stacy G, Theory, and Alekzeta (dance).

Though a private gathering, friends who appreciated the vibe were welcomed into the fold.


Decentered Poets: Making Space

Shimmering souls in decadent dress shared poetry, music, and plant-based delights in a dreamy, ethereal night at Uzay Gallery.

Liz Cahill and Rhea Joseph teamed up to present **"La Femme Boheme: Poets,"** featuring poets from **16th & Mission** and **Decentered**.
Guests enjoyed an evening of performances from some of their favorite female and non-binary poets on **12/10 at 6pm** ✨
Poetry was followed by live painting and music, courtesy of the gallery. The event took place at a new gallery in the Mission District.


Femme Boheme

Poets cast spells at La Femme Boheme as guests sipped wine, basked in verse, and witnessed live art come alive.

Emily Miller AKA Spinelli

Artist at:

DECENTERED
ARTS