Events

June 22, 2024, 3-5 pm, Ruelaine Stokes will open for Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer, Capital Area District Library, Lansing, MI.

June 7, 8 & 9, 2024, Adrienne Torf & Voices of the Revolution in “Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience,” Theater Alliance, Washington D.C.

May 19, 2024, “Hurts Like a Mother,” featuring Brittany Rogers, plus Open Mic. Copper Chimney Lounge Poetry Series, UUMC, 1120 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing.

April 21, 2024, 7:30 pm, Adrienne Torf & Voices of the Revolution,” Urban Beat, 1213 Turner St., Lansing’s Old Town

April 20, 2024, 7:30 pm, “Adrienne Torf & Voices of the Revolution, w/ special guests Flint Poet Laureate Semaj Brown & Natasha Elle Thomas, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, 2474 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI.

April 14, 2024, 4 pm, Poets Laura Reece Hogan & Ryan Apple, plus Open Mic. At the Copper Chimney Lounge Poetry Series, UUMC, 1120 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing

March 26, 2024, 11 am – 4 pm, “Women’s Literature Read-In”, Grand River Room, Gannon Bldg., Lansing Community College

Feb. 25, 2024, 2-4 pm, “Six Voices in Winter: Poets Speak,” 131 E. Jefferson St., Grand Ledge Area District Library, Feb. 11, 2024, 3-6 pm, “Burning Desires: An Afternoon of Love Poetry,” UrbanBeat, 1213 Turner St., Lansing, MI.

Dec. 8, 2023, 7:30 pm, “20th Annual Holiday Sing, Hosted by Sally Potter, with special guests Doug Austin, Doug Berch & Ruelaine Stokes.

Nov. 11, 2023, Adrienne Torf & Voices of the Revolution,” University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.

Nov. 10, 2023, Adrienne Torf & Voices of the Revolution,” Women in the Arts Festival, Edgewood Untied Church, 469 N. Hagadorn, East Lansing, MI.

Oct. 21, 2023, Writing Workshops: “Jump Start your Creativity” & “Poetry as a Healing Art, Creekside Gathering Space, 9452 Peacock Rd., Laingsburg, MI 48848.

Sept. 24, 2023, “My Secret Lansing” Gala, UrbanBeat, 1213 Turner St., Lansing, MI.

June 21, 2023, “Welcome to Paradise: Role of Community & Adult Education in Teaching Refugees,” Michigan Association of Community and Adult Education.

March 20, 2023, “Women’s Voices, Women’s Visions,” a celebration of women’s poetry, 1st Congregational United Church of Christ, Charlotte, MI.

March 2, 2023, “Gimme Shelter: Poems about Home” w/ Voices of the Revolution, sponsored by the Red Cedar Writing Project, at the Capital Area District Library, Lansing, MI.

Nov. 15, 2022, 10 AM — “Presentation on Amanda Gorman’s Call Us What We Carry for the Whitehills Book Study Group.

April 9, 2022, 1:30 2:30 PM, “Jump Start Your Creativity” — A writing workshop led by Ruelaine at the Rally of Writers, West Campus, Lansing Community College, 5708 Cornerstone Dr., Lansing MI 48917. This workshop will feature writing games that allow you to escape your Inner Censor and strengthen your creative writing “muscles.”

April 9, 2022, “Capital City Film Fest” — Kate Darnell’s animated video of Ruelaine’s poem “A Daffodil Under Close Inspection” will be featured in the Animated Shorts Session at 1 PM at The Fledge.

March 30, 2022, “Women’s Lit Read-In” —Ruelaine will join a group of women writers in this annual online reading.

March 26, 2022, 7:30 pm & March 27, 3 pm —“Voices from the Heartland” — A program of music and spoken word featuring Ruelaine Stokes, Sally Potter, Joel Mabus, Marzieh Ghiasi & Doug Berch. At the University United Methodist Church, 1120 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing. Tickets: $10 to $20, sliding scale. A fundraiser for the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

Dec. 12, 2021, “Open Mic Fundraiser for Loaves & Fishes”—An online poetry reading featuring “Voices of the Revolution” (Kim Griffin, Susan Harris, Laurie Hollinger, Tari Muniz, Rina Risper, Lisa Sarno, Anita Skeen, and Ruelaine Stokes), plus Open Mic.

Dec. 10, 2021, “The Ten Pound Fiddle Holiday Sing,” featuring singer & songleader, Sally Potter, musicians Doug Austin and Doug Berch, and poet Ruelaine Stokes. University United Methodist Church, 1120 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI.

Sept. 26, 2021, “Singing in the Dark Times: A Poetry Fundraiser for the Refugee Development Center”—An afternoon of poetry and music featuring pianist Judy Kabodian, singer Sally Potter, and poets Aram Kabodian, Marianne Forman, Ezatullah Shamszai, and Tamoha Siddiqui. The program also included “The Footsteps of Water,” a video recording of a poem by the great Persian poet, Sohrab Sepehri, recorded by local poets Marzieh Ghiasi, Ruelaine Stokes, and musician Doug Berch; an update on the current refugee situation by Mariah Shafer; and “Refuge Lansing,” a photo exhibit featuring stories of refugees in the Lansing Area. At University United Methodist Church, 1120 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI.

May 16 & 23, 2021, “Wonder, Wit & Wisdom: The Poetry of Lee Upton”—A two-part online workshop featuring poet/novelist Lee Upton and facilitated by Cheryl Caesar & Ruelaine Stokes.

April 28, 2021, “Words Across the Water”—An online poetry reading featuring poets from the Lansing Poetry Club and the Poets Club of Chicago.

Feb. 16, 2020, “Telling One’s Own Story”—Reading at “Poetry in the Bar,” Eaton Rapids Craft Company, Eaton Rapids, MI

Feb. 9, 2020, “Burning Desires: An Afternoon of Love Poetry”—coordinator/performer for Valentine-themed event, produced by MICA & Lansing Poetry Club, Urban Beat, Old Town Lansing, MI

Dec. 8, 2019, “The Power of Telling Your Own Story”—a talk at People’s Church Advent Tea, East Lansing.

Dec. 6, 2019, “Poetry in the Persian Tradition” w/ Doug Berch, Marzieh Ghiasi, & Ruelaine Stokes—At the Holiday Sing, Community Music School, East Lansing, MI. Ten Pound Fiddle Production.

Oct. 20, 2019, “Voices of the Revolution”—participant in Spoken Word Performance at Lansing Poetry Club, MICA Gallery, Lansing, MI

Sept. 30,  2019, Panel: Finding Refuge—presenter, WRAC Department, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI

Sept. 21, 2019, “A Big Picture: Writing Personal Memoirs”—Workshop for Peninsula Writers, Kent District Library, MI

Sept. 18, 2019, “The Story of a Name”—Workshop for Senior Discovery Group, Allen Neighborhood Center, Lansing, MI

Aug. 25, 2019, “The Horn of Plenty”—Organizer/performer, poetry & music program, Unitarian Universalist Church, Lansing, MI.

Oct. 12, 2018, “On Refuge and Escape”—Keynote speaker at Michigan College English Association Conference (MCEA) at Lansing Community College West, Lansing, MI

July 25, 2017, “The Poetry of Resistance”—Organizer/performer,  music & poetry program, Unitarian Universalist Church, Lansing, MI

Aug. 28, 2016, “Finding Our Way Home”—Organizer/performer, music & poetry program, Unitarian Universalist Church, Lansing, MI

Spring 2015, “Using Poetry as a Tool for Teaching Pronunciation to Non-Native Speakers”—Workshop at Michigan Adult Education and Training Conference (MAETC)

March 28, 2015, “Finding Your Voice: Strategies for Effective Oral Performance”—Workshop at Exploring Our Own Amazement: A Free Poetry Conference for Educators and Writers, presented by the Residential College in Art and Humanities at Michigan State University.

March 10, 2015—An Evening of Irish Poetry, Storytelling & Song, Dublin Square Irish Pub and Restaurant, 327 Abbot Rd., East Lansing

February 8, 2015, 2-4PM—Burning Desires: An Afternoon of Love Poetry at MICA Gallery, 1210 Turner St. in Lansing’s historic Old Town.

November 21, 2014 — Opening for the Melissa Greener Concert at the Pump House Concert Series, 368 Orchard St. in East Lansing.

Sept. 7, 2014—Remembering Pete Seeger,” Wheatland Music Festival

Aug. 9, 2014—”Remembering Pete Seeger,” Great Lakes Folk Festival, East Lansing, MI

April, 2014—Poetry Workshop, Rally of Writers, Lansing, MI.