Established Inglewood  ·  Fourth Fridays

A room
for spoken
verse.

Once a month, on the fourth Friday, we gather to read poems aloud — the ones we've written, the ones we've carried, the ones we've been waiting to say out loud. Free, walk-in, always.

The next gathering What it is
Cherry Blossom Poetry Collective logo — open book with quill and cherry blossoms
The Collective

Built for our own community.

We started this because Inglewood deserves it. A dedicated room for the literary arts and spoken word — somewhere local talent has a microphone, somewhere the door asks nothing of you. So we built one, in our own community, on our own block.

This isn't a competition. It isn't a workshop. It's a platform — a microphone for the poet writing in private, a two-hour audience for the artist still waiting for a room of their own. Free on purpose, because artistic expression should never need a ticket.

On the fourth Friday of every month, this room is open to people who come to listen and people who come to read. Made in Inglewood, in partnership with Wisdom's Sisters, a nonprofit lifting women's voices across Los Angeles.

The Fourth Reading

Volume Four.

No. 04 · Inglewood
04The Fourth Reading
Friday Evening
August 28, 2026
Doors 7:00  ·  Reading 7:30  ·  Open Mic 8:45 — 11:00
Free
Walk-in welcome
All ages · Bring a poem
Fragrance of Elegance storefront on Crenshaw Boulevard at night, with cherry blossom window display
View in Maps →
The Venue

Fragrance of Elegance

10925 S. Crenshaw Blvd, Suite 106
Inglewood, CA 90303
Get Directions Opens in Maps Apple Maps Google Maps

Free parking on site. Walk in. Find a seat.

Your Guest Host

A name we're honored to announce.

Jessica Gallion — YELLAWOMAN — writes from Louisiana into Los Angeles. A published author, poet, and poetry events curator, she is co-host of the Anansi Writers Workshop at The World Stage in Leimert Park, the legendary writing circle that anchors so much of this city's spoken-word lineage.

Her work and her presence move through rooms most poets don't enter: she has collaborated with Rupi Kaur, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Public Library, the Broad Museum, El Silencio Mezcal, Coca-Cola, Compton College, and many others.

Jessica opened our very first reading in May. This month the room is hers — the first guest host in the Collective's history, holding the mic for Volume Four.

"Drops you into a deep pot of gumbo with no ladle in sight." — On Jessica's poetry
The Bill

Two voices at the microphone.

Two featured poets this month — a bestselling Long Beach author with roots in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and an award-winning poet and educator from Southern California — each stepping to our microphone for the first time.

RAVINA

Long Beach · U.S. Virgin Islands roots · poet, author, licensed therapist

RAVINA is a South Asian American bestselling author, spoken word poet, and licensed therapist based in Long Beach, with roots in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her debut full-length collection of poetry and prose, YELLOW, arrived from World Stage Press and was named Long Beach's Best Poetry Collection of 2021.

She has carried her poems onto nationally and internationally acclaimed stages — the House of Blues, the United Nations — and tours and performs with the Long Beach collective NeverSpeak!

She is the founding director of Writing As Healing Los Angeles, a workshop and mic built at the intersection of creative writing, mindfulness, and mental health.

YELLOW 2021 · World Stage Press Buy →

James Coats

Southern California · award-winning author, poet, educator

James Coats is an award-winning author, poet, and educator from Southern California — a creative change agent who believes the arts can inspire the youth and influence positive change in the world.

He is the winner of the 2021 San Gabriel Poetry Slam, has been featured nationally, and became Artist in Residence at The Garcia Center for the Arts in 2022. He is a 2023 Pushcart Prize nominee in poetry.

Through his organization Lift Our Voices Education, he hosts an award-winning monthly workshop, Be The Change: Social Justice Writing Workshop — and you can find him at poetry readings up and down California, or follow along at @MrLovingWords.

The Archive

Volumes past.

Every reading becomes part of the record — a growing book of the room.

Volume Three · July 31, 2026 · The Third Reading
Portrait of Conney D. Williams
Host
Conney D. Williams
Portrait of bridgette bianca
Featuring
bridgette bianca
Portrait of Brendan Constantine
Featuring
Brendan Constantine
Volume Two · June 26, 2026 · The Second Reading
Portrait of Conney D. Williams
Host
Conney D. Williams
Portrait of Pam Ward
Featuring
Pam Ward
Portrait of F. Douglas Brown
Featuring
F. Douglas Brown
Volume One · May 22, 2026 · The First Reading
Portrait of Conney D. Williams
Host
Conney D. Williams
Portrait of Billy Burgos
Main Feature
Billy Burgos
Portrait of Jessica Gallion
Opening Set
Jessica Gallion a.k.a. YELLAWOMAN
Brought to You By

Fragrance of Elegance, in partnership with Wisdom's Sisters.

Fragrance of Elegance
Fragrance of Elegance
Candles, soap & body care
Inglewood, CA
foecandles.com →
Wisdom's Sisters
Wisdom's Sisters
Lifting women's voices
Los Angeles
wisdomssisters.org →
Media Partner
Poet Runner
Poet Runner
Spoken-word radio & podcast
Hosted by Rafael F. J. Alvarado & Richard Modiano
YouTube Instagram
Three Ways In

However you arrive, arrive.

i.

Come to listen.

The simplest doorway. Walk in, bring a friend or come alone, and let the room read to you for two hours. No cover, no pressure, no list at the door.

See the next date →
ii.

Read at the open mic.

Eight to ten slots open at every gathering, first-come the night of. One poem each, four minutes or less. Your first time counts. Just walk in.

See the next date →
iii.

Submit a featured set.

We invite featured poets each month. Send three poems and a few sentences about your work. We read every submission with care.

Submit your work →
Submit Your Work

Want to feature?

Send three poems and a few words about you. We read every submission with care. If your work is a fit for an upcoming room, we'll reach out.

Replies come from cherrybpoetry@gmail.com. Could take a couple weeks during busy months.
Lend a Hand

Help build the room.

Setting chairs, working the door, photographing the night, helping with sound. The Collective is community-built — every volunteer makes the room possible.

We'll be in touch with what's needed for the next gathering.

The monthly dispatch.

One short letter on the first of each month: the next gathering's date, the featured poets, and a single poem from last month's reading.