Calendar of Events
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Sundress Reading Series: Poets Gardner Dorton and Sebastian Elios
Category: Free event, Literature, spoken word, writing and Virtual
The Sundress Academy for the Arts is pleased to announce the guests for the February installment of our reading series, poets Gardner Dorton and Sebastian Elios. Join us on Wednesday, February 19th from 7:00-8:00 PM for this month's reading, NOW ONLINE! https://tiny.utk.edu/sundress
Gardner Dorton is a poet living in Knoxville, TN. His debut collection of poetry If I Were God I Would Also Start With Light was published by Thirty West Publishing House in 2024. His poems have appeared individually in places like The Greensboro Review, The Florida Review, Wussy Magazine, and The "30 Below" Anthology with Narrative. When he's not reading his poems, he's probably drinking tea with his husband watching a Twilight movie or picking up ripped open trash from his oversized dogs.
A poet accustomed to living on the margins of different identities, Sebastian Elios (he/him) is constantly reflecting on what it means to partake in the world and human ecosystems. His poems are attempts to summarize experiences which reach far beyond words. Raised by Black women, both literally & literarily, his writing is rooted in their many lessons & examples. A past fellow of VONA, Abode Press, & Southern Esesu, he’s been published by Tabadul Collective, Callaloo, Pigeon Pages, & Querencia Press among others. When he’s not writing, he’s probably listening to Tierra Whack or Waxahatchee and walking around barefoot. You can follow him on Instagram or find his work at sebastianellios.com.
Each month we split donations with our community partner. Our community partner for February is Bridge Refugees Services. https://www.bridgerefugees.org/
