Fifth Sunday Open Mic

Sunday, May 31, 12:30 pm to 3 pm.

On Fifth Sundays in 2026, from 12:30 until 3 pm, the Dove Block hosts an Open Microphone for performers of literary or musical work. All are welcome as performers or listeners. Performers are invited to offer brief samples of their work to a friendly audience. Come, perform, listen, enjoy light refreshments, have fun! Free.

A sign-up sheet for five-minute segments will be available from 12:30 until 1:00, when the performance begins. First come, first served. All welcome.

For the May 31 event, special guest readers Jessica Dubey and Carol Mikoda will be sharing their published and new poetry and song during the program.

After a long teaching career, Dr. Carol Mikoda lives in Hector, NY, original home of the Haudenosaunee. She studied at Syracuse University and received a doctorate from Binghamton University. Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her chapbooks include While You Wait (2021), Wind and Water, Leaf and Lake (Finishing Line Press, 2023) and Outside of Time (Kelsay Press, 2025) nominated for the Eric Hoffer Award. She also performs as a professional musician, in classical, folk and blues styles.

Poet Jessica Dubey resides in New York’s Southern Tier and is the author of poetry collections For Dear Life (2022) and All those Years Underwater (2022). Her work has been described as visceral and at times heart wrenching, yet unsentimental. She writes about themes of danger and desire, moving through life’s challenges such as motherhood, family health, and losses, seeking resilience through writing. She has been a member of the Boilerhouse Poets Collective which convenes annually for a residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Jessica is also a member of local workshopping groups, such as the Grapevine Poets. She has been nominated for The Best of the Net, and her poetry has appeared in journals such as Stone Canoe, Oxidant, Gulf Stream, South Florida Poetry Journal and Kissing Dynamite.

Light refreshments will be served. No registration required, but performers should arrive at 12:30 to sign up for a time slot.

Additional dates in 2026: August 30 and November 29.

Fifth Sunday Open Mic is funded by The Dove Block Project and curated by Stephen Lewandowski. For more information contact Steve at stachu14512@gmail.comor (585)554-4899)

Join Joanne Corey, Merrill Oliver Douglas, Carol Mikoda, Burt Myers, and me for a book signing and poetry reading. The reading starts at 3 pm.

Stop By & Meet the Author, Jessica Dubey

Jessica will be on hand to sign copies of her latest book, All Those Years Underwater, as well as her first book, For Dear Life.

Local authors Jessica Dubey, Jen Bokal, Ala Ladd, M.L. Stoughton, Christine Gelineau, Joan Koster and Rasha Selim will be on hand at Barnes & Noble (Vestal, NY) to celebrate Women’s History Month. Stop by to meet the authors, have a chance to win some prizes and hear readings by the authors (readings begin at 3 pm). For more information: https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062155176-0?fbclid=IwAR00iGUe8nAu-6y7hiYP8SAcKMKdrdmy2SVVbZkQCVlM-aovZrclMp5ySro

An in-person poetry reading sponsored by the Tioga Arts Council.
Participants can read a poem they selected for our audio initiative and an original poem if desired. Each reader will be given 5 - 7 minutes.

Featuring poets Jessica Dubey, Merrill Douglas, Joanne Corey, Wendy Stuart and Carol Mikoda.

Sponsored by the Broome County Arts Council