Teatro Paraguas Hosts Poetry Reading Celebrating Short Forms on June 29

Teatro Paraguas will present Short Forms, a special poetry reading featuring local poets Wayne Lee, Donald Levering, and Jane Lipman, on Sunday, June 29 at 5:00 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie, Santa Fe. The evening will highlight short-form poetry and include a panel discussion, book signings, and refreshments.

Short-form poetry—defined by its brevity yet retaining the depth and craft of traditional poetry—will be explored through a variety of styles. Wayne Lee will read septets from his latest collection Dining on Salt: Four Seasons of Septets (Cornerstone Press), reflecting a structure he calls a bridge between haiku and sonnet. Lee, an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher, has published widely and has new collections out this year and forthcoming in 2026.

Donald Levering will share examples of ramages—an eight-line form emphasizing internal rhyme invented by Robert Bly—as well as ghazals, a couplet-based form rooted in Middle Eastern and South Asian literary traditions. Levering, a Santa Fe resident, is the author of sixteen books and recipient of an NEA Fellowship, the Tor House Prize, and other honors.

Jane Lipman will read haiku from her new collection in every peach the taste of thunder (Hummingbird Hollow Press). A longtime resident of northern New Mexico and former psychotherapist, Lipman’s poetry has earned multiple New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards and NM Press Women’s Awards.

Following the reading, the poets will participate in a panel discussion on the appeal, technique, and expressive potential of short poetic forms. Books will be available for purchase and signing.