Just Buffalo Presents Michael Dumanis, Sandra Simonds, and Brian DeJesus

Join us on October 20, 2023 where Just Buffalo presents readings from Michael Dumanis & Sandra Simonds, with a musical performance by Brian DeJesus.

Doors at 7:00 p.m. | Reading begins at 7:30 p.m.

Books available for purchase from Fitz Books online and at the event.

About the Poets & Artists

photo credit Sylvie Rosokoff

Michael Dumanis is the author of two books of poems, Creature (Four Way Books, 2023) and My Soviet Union (University of Massachusetts Press), winner of the Juniper Prize for Poetry. Born in the former Soviet Union, he immigrated to the United States at the age of five and lived in Buffalo for most of his childhood. His recent work appears in American Poetry Review, The Believer, Boston Review, Colorado Review, The Common, Iowa Review, Poetry, and Waxwing. He lives in North Bennington, Vermont, and teaches at Bennington College, where he also serves as editor of Bennington Review.

photo credit Kira Derryberry

Sandra Simonds is an award-winning writer and professor who has taught at Bennington College, Florida State University and Thomas University. She is the author of eight collections of poetry, most recently Triptychs (Wave Books, November 2022) which was a 2022 New York Times selection. Her awards include the University of Akron Poetry Prize for Further Problems with Pleasure and the Cleveland State University Open Poetry Prize for Mother Was a Tragic Girl. She has been a finalist for numerous awards including the National Poetry Series. Her first novel, Assia (Noemi Press, 2023), based on the life of Assia Wevill, a SPD bestseller, was shortlisted for the Dzanc Fiction Prize. Her poetry and criticism have been published in the New Yorker, The New York Times, the Best American Poetry, Poetry, the American Poetry Review, the Chicago Review, Granta, Boston Review, Ploughshares, and others. She was the recipient of the Reader’s Choice Award for her sonnet “Red Wand,” which was published on the Academy of American Poets website. She has also been granted residencies at Millay Arts Colony, Vermont Studio Center and Studio Faire in Southern France. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and English at UCLA, an M.F.A. at the University of Montana, and her Ph.D. (with honors) at Florida State University.

Brian DeJesus is a musician based in Buffalo, NY who plays electric and upright bass. A versatile musician, Brian has quickly become a ubiquitous presence on the thriving Buffalo music scene and beyond, and can be found playing in groups that span a variety of sounds and styles from around the world. Current groups include Fredtown Stompers, Baczkowski/Padmanabha/DeJesus, and John Victor’s Divi Romi. In addition, DeJesus has also performed with Cages, Buffalo Jazz Octet, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, El Batey of Buffalo, NY, Carol McLaughlin, and many more.

Just Buffalo Presents is supported by: NYSCA & Eric County