Stories & Poems Telluride
A live poetry series at the Wilkinson Public Library on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:15pm.
OCTOBER 20, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Rob Schultheis & Elle Metrick
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Famed writer and nascent poet Rob Schultheis of Lawson Hill will join poet performer and writer Elle Metrick of Wrights Mesa for the October 20th session of Stories & Poems at the Wilkinson Public Library at 5:15 pm. MDT
“I have been a fan of Rob’s work since I moved to Telluride in the early ‘80s,” said Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds director. “Elle has been a poet performer colleague and Norwood area friend for over 20 years. It should be a delightful evening.”
Schultheis is an author and journalist who lives in Lawson Hill. He has written books about the wars in Afghanistan (both with the Soviet Union and the U.S.) and the 2003 Iraq War, as well as books about Colorado, the Western United States, and extreme sports such as mountain climbing. His pieces have appeared in magazines such as Time, and newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. Lately he’s been sharing his poetry.
In addition to being a published poet and veteran performer, appearing in Grand Junction last month for the inaugural Book Cliffs Poetry Festival, Metrick is a jane-of-many-trades. She’s taught school, run rivers for a living, made and shoveled snow, lived in my truck and a tipi, built a straw bale home with my (late) husband and raised a lovely, thoughtful and creative human being.
She’s published books of poetry: Poetisattva (Water Woman Productions, 2000) and Teasing out the Divine (Mercury Heartlink, 2012). She dabbles in creative nonfiction and is deep into an Icelandic fiction project. She also writes for local newspapers and magazines and am a creative and line editor who partners clients on their passion projects.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, this literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Rain” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
In November Stories & Poems Telluride’s live poetry reading happens on Tuesday the 17th at 5:15 pm in the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room with Wrights Mesa poet Daiva Česonis.
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SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Ruth Duffy and Mike Olschewsky
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Nucla poets Ruth Duffy and Mike Olschewsky, a husband-and-wife team, will be the featured presenters at the Talking Gourds’ Stories & Poems series at the Wilkinson Public Library on Tuesday Sept. 15th at 5:15 pm. MDT
“This dynamic duo brings humor, intelligence, craft and performance chops to every reading they do,” noted Talking Gourds director Art Goodtimes. “Catch them in Telluride. They will also be featured spotlight readers at the inaugural Book Cliffs Poetry Festival in Grand Junction Saturday Sept. 26th.”
Duffy is a girl from the north country who immigrated to the southwest in the late 1970s with a MA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin – Beer City. Although she has been published sporadically, she remains a true believer in poetry in the oral tradition.
Olschewsky grew up on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1975 he got his MS in physics and moved to Nucla, Colorado. He taught math and physics in Kayenta, Arizona for 11 years and in Nucla and Norwood for about 20 years. He found that reality is easier to describe with poetry than physics.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, this literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Walking the Dog” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
In October Stories & Poems Telluride’s live poetry reading happens on Tuesday the 20th at 5:15 pm in the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room with Wrights Mesa poet and writer Elle Metrick and Lawson Hill author and storyteller Rob Schultheis.
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AUGUST 18, 2026
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, this literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
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JULY 21, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKER: Durango Poet Laureate Esther Belin
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Durango Poet Laureate Esther Belin will be the featured presenter at the Talking Gourds’ Stories & Poems series at the Wilkinson Public Library on Tuesday July 21 at 5:15 pm.
“Esther just directed the successful Four Corners Poetry Festival at the Durango Public Library,” explained Talking Gourds Director Art Goodtimes. “We are delighted she’s willing to make the drive up into the mountains to share her Indigenous poetry with us.”
Esther Belin (Diné) is among the myriad of indigenous peoples on the planet to survive in urbanized areas. She is a graduate from the following institutions: UC Berkeley, IAIA, Antioch University. She considers the following locations her homeland: LA, Durango, Diné bike’yah. Her writing and art grows from and is an offering to the collective humanity, bila’ ashdla’ii.
Esther is the author of two poetry books and coeditor of The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature. Belin’s visual art combines a variety of disciplines and works to reframe the mythical primitivism often associated with Indigenous cultures. She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and lives on the Colorado side of the four corners. Belin is a member of Saad Bee Hózhǫ́: Diné Writers’ Collective and teaches in the Native American and Indigenous studies department at Fort Lewis College and in the low-residency MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, this literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Water” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
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JUNE 16, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: San Miguel County Poet Laureate Paulo Munguía of Montrose
“Paulo has really blossomed at our local poet laureate, creating fascinating (and funny) videos as well as making strong poetry performances in both Spanish and English,” said Talking Gourds director Art Goodtimes.
Born in Morelos, México and based in Montrose, Colorado, Munguía defines himself as a free soul. He is the first Hispanic person to be named poet laureate in San Miguel County (2025-2027)
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Cinco de Mayo” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
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MAY 19, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Danny Rosen
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, the literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
Poet, publisher, sculptor, Lithic bookshop and press owner Danny Rosen of Fruita will read poems at the May 19th Stories & Poems live sharing circle at the Wilkinson Public Library in Telluride at 5:15 pm MST.
Danny Rosen started out in Philadelphia and lived there until 1980. In Wyoming he studied geology, the high cliffs and the long road. Over time all things stone and otherwise coalesced in Fruita to become Lithic Press then Bookstore. Previous publications include: The Tuscan Journals (Cuneiform Press) Primate Poems (Lithic) and Ghosts of Giant Kudu (Kattywompus).
Of his serial poem, Suspended Erosion, he says, “It’s from the point of view of one who hangs rocks – looks at rocks hanging above the horizon – their silhouettes shifting against something far away – or – from the view of the rocks themselves looking out at the situation – mineral memories when the rock was young tumbling burning and sentenced to be a victim of gravity – how it feels at the moment of cracking – solidarity before redemption to say nothing of suspension.”
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Hanging Rocks” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
In June San Miguel County Poet Laureate Paulo Munguía of Montrose heads up the evening.
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APRIL 21, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Joan Shapiro
Ridgway poet and lyricist Joan Shapiro will give a presentation on creating lyrics for songs at the monthly Talking Gourds’ Stories & Poems Telluride performance and sharing circle on the third Tuesday in April, the 21st, at 5:15 pm MDT at the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room.
“Joan has been one of our stalwart out-of-county attendee for the last decade or more, traveling over from Ridgway for programs and presentations,” said Talking Gourds Director Art Goodtimes. “She’s become a good friend, published her first book and is very excited to be presenting this program on her recent project creating lyrics for music.”
Born in Bowling Green (KY) and growing up in Nashville (TN), Joan graduated from Indiana University with a BA in Comparative Literature, and from Washington University in St. Louis (MO) with an MSW in Clinical Social Work. In St. Louis, she worked in book design, systems documentation, mental health consumer advocacy, healthcare reform, and community organizing, studying several foreign languages and taking drawing and painting classes.
For ten years, Joan had a psychotherapy practice. She styled her work “Macrotherapy” and defined it as the analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of large systems that may benefit from intervention and reform. “Philosophically,” she explained, “I found that mental illness in an individual or family can most often be attributed to experiencing powerlessness in an unfair system in which one is unlikely to succeed within or overcome.” Informed by her own “mental illness” in her young and middle adulthood, she felt confident in her ability to help others.
In 1997 Joan moved to the Colorado mountains to paint landscapes and study figure drawing, as well as study music theory and production with Professor Dennis Woodrich Since 2014, she has worked as a songwriter and executive producer of music, culminating in her most recent projects.
In 2023, Joan published Stolen Seasons: Observations, Poems, Lyrics and Rants (Squirrel Flats Studio, 2023). The lyrics and poems in that book inspired the album Stolen Seasons: The Musical, the first release (of a planned trilogy) now available on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and many other music platforms. She works in collaboration with Taylor Riley, owner/ engineer of Fusion Audio Systems, and composers, vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Aaron and Jessica Seibert.
In her 70s, Joan discovered life could be exciting and positive, and is seeing that if one lives long enough and is extraordinarily fortunate, everything one has learned or experienced might begin to make sense in late life.
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, the literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Singing to the Moon,” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome. Talking Gourds’ Scot Rasor will be hosting this month’s session, as Goodtimes is performing in Boulder that same evening.
Next month poet / publisher Danny Rosen of Lithic Press in Fruita and long-time Telluride storyteller Rick Silverman will be our featured guest at Stories & Poems Telluride – on the third Tuesday May 19th at the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room starting at 5:15 pm. In June San Miguel County Poet Laureate Paulo Munguía of Montrose heads up the evening.
The West End Stories & Poems series continues at the Naturita Community Library on the second Thursday of each month at 6 pm MST. On April 9th Jami Allred will be the featured guest talking about “Lights in the Sky.” Writers and reciters are also invited to share stories and poems of their own — or of their favorite poets/authors — with facilitators Leslie Ament and Goodtimes
The Bardic Trails virtual zoom series continues on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 pm with town support from the Telluride Institute, the Wilkinson Public Library and the Commission for Community Assistance, Arts & Special Events. April 7th Nancy Takacs of Utah will be featured and May 5th Kathy Winograd of Louisville.
To get on our zoom link, participants not on our Bardic Trails mailing list need to visit <https://www.tellurideinstitute.org/western-slope-calendar>
The national Fischer and state Cantor poetry prize contests start up again April 1 for 2026. Go to our website to see photos, bios and poems of our winners and finalists. We will be accepting 2026 entries on April 1, 2026. In addition to being eligible for over $4000 in prize awards, participants are a primary means of support for all the projects of the Talking Gourds poetry program.
Thanks to the Cantor Family, the Guttman Family Foundation, CCAASE, several local and regional donors and our Fischer and Cantor contest participants for financially supporting our program and all our projects.
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FEBRUARY 17, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Karen Bellerose and Bob Beer
It’s free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and poems of their own for the Talking Gourd sharing circle after the performance.
Local writer/poet Karen Bellerose will join journalist/musician Bob Beer for the monthly Stories & Poems sharing circle at the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room at 5:15 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
“We moved the series up to 5:15 pm since the library closes at 7 pm,” said Talking Gourds director Art Goodtimes. “We want to give all attendees a chance to share a story or poem after the featured performers.”
Co-sponsored by the Wilkinson Public Library and the Telluride Institute, the literary event is free and open to the public of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring a story or poem of their own, or of someone they like, to read aloud.
“After years in Norwood and Telluride, Karen Bellerose has blossomed as a writer,” said Goodtimes. “I love her work. And my friend Bob and I shared the masthead of the old Telluride Times back in the ‘80s – it read ‘Beer and Goodtimes.’ He writes and performs his own songs.”
Karen Bellerose has lived and written in San Miguel County since 1995. In 2024, she launched spruceandsagebrush.com, a blog of essays and poems influenced by living in and exploring the Colorado Plateau and the Southern Rocky Mountains. Her essays also have appeared in Telluride Magazine, Western Colorado Voices: An Anthology of Poetry, Fiction and Essays and Writer’s Digest magazine (May/June 2026).
Her writing is rooted in place but raised in modern life and reflects the tension of trying to hold the connection of the natural world and the human one.
“I find in wilderness so many connections to life, even modern life,” says Bellerose. “I notice something on the outside that takes me inside to see things in a different way. The natural world is my greatest teacher, and writing is how I understand the lessons.”
Bob Beer moved to Telluride in the summer of 1982 to help start up The San Juan Examiner newspaper along with Greg and Janet Smith. He knew the Smiths from Kansas, worked with them both at the Hutchinson News and was their best man.
After the Examiner, he worked as a news reporter for KOTO, then with the old Telluride Times, Daily Planet and Norwood Post. He also served as Club Manager for the Telluride Elks Lodge on three different locations. And, until Covid-19 reared its ugly head, Beer drove for the Telluride Express.
“In all of these jobs,” says Beer, “I got to meet interesting people, talk to them about their lives and heard many wonderful and memorable stories.”
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Old Telluride,” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome.
Next month Mary Hearding of Rico and a surprise guest will be our featured poets at Stories & Poems Telluride on Tuesday March. 17th at the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room starting at 5:15 pm. In April Joan Shapiro of Ridgway heads up the evening, and in May Danny Rosen of Fruita.
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JANUARY 20, 2026
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Tanya Ishikawa
Journalist, public relations professional and screenwriter Tanya Ishikawa will start the new year as featured storyteller at the second installment of the new Talking Gourds Stories & Poems series at the Wilkinson Public Library Jan. 20th MST at 5:30 pm.
“I first met Tanya as a fellow Green Party member and office-holder in the Denver metro area,” said the Telluride Institute’s Art Goodtimes. “Then I got to meet her father and mother when they lived next to the old site of the Uncompahgre Ute agency near Colona in Ouray County. Her and her jazz musician husband Yasuo have been friends ever since.”
Currently residing in Montrose, Tanya comes from a long line of tellers of tall tales. She chose to concentrate her talents on written stories as a freelancer and public relations marketing specialist, as well as doing some screenwriting .
Her life has been deeply influenced by the time she and her family spent in Native American communities. She will share some of those stories in Telluride.
For those that like prompts, this month’s will be “Myths and Legends,” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome. Attendees can bring the work of someone they admire, if they’d prefer not to share their own work. We like everyone to have a chance to speak at Stories & Poems sessions.
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DECEMBER 16, 2025
FEATURED SPEAKERS: Tracy Lightsey
“I call him a metaphysical poet,” said Talking Gourds director Art Goodtimes, “as he has taught philosophy for many years and, at his reading in Norwood last month, his poems touched quite powerfully on some deep issues.”
Lightsey studied with James Doyle at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and with Aaron Abeyta at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. He has performed his poetry before in Telluride to great acclaim. He has been published in Bloodroot Literary Magazine, Sky Island Journal, Sage Green Journal, Rat’s Ass Review, Pensive and Courtship of Winds.
For a number of years he taught creative writing at the Montrose High School. He currently practices massage therapy in Ouray at the Wiesbaden.
Following Lightsey’s reading we will hold a Talking Gourds sharing circle going around the room to let everyone speak. For those that like prompts, Lightsey has suggested “The playful interaction of fire and water,” although stories or poems on any subject are welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own work or someone else’s that they like to share.
Next month Tanya Ishikawa of Montrose will be our featured storyteller at Stories & Poems Telluride on Tuesday Jan. 20th at the Wilkinson Public Library magazine room starting at 5:30 pm.
The Stories & Poems Norwood series at the Lone Cone Library will be shutting down indefinitely due to declining attendance and loss of funding, so no more Third Thursday live events in Norwood.
Talking Gourds’ Scot Rasor (KOTO DJ Razor Blaze) is working with Telluride Arts to continue to bring poetry to Artwalk first Thursdays in selected galleries and is also working with a lot of local arts entities to start a monthly music and poetry event somewhere in town with the beginning of the new year
The Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds Poetry Program hosts the free Bardic Trails virtual zoom series on the first Tuesday of each month. The Wilkinson Public Library continues as our collaboration partner, with town support from Commission for Community Assistance, Arts & Special Events.
