SURRENDER
OPEN MIC STORYTELLING EVENT AT
Lorraine Boccardo Theater, Center for the Arts @ Kayenta
May 9, 2025
OLIVIA DUDDING-RODRIGUEZ – “THE MOUNTAIN ALWAYS WINS”
Olivia is an Appalachian-grown poet, storyteller, facilitator, and devoted celebrant who has made her home in Eastern Utah. Born and raised in southeastern Ohio, her work centers the stories, identities, and inheritances of rural places. Olivia is the Poet Laureate of Helper, Utah and also works with The Heart of It, a writing retreat for working-class writers. Her first chapbook, Honey Wonder, arrived in July 2024 from Moon in the Rye Press. Find out more:oliviadudding-rodriguez.com
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ROBERT PERKINS – “STORY TITLE – LOST & FOUND”
Rob is a storyteller. His passion is the natural world and exploring our place in it. His stories come from 37 years of solo canoe journeys in the Canadian arctic. He lives in Virgin, Utah. Please look for his most recent book: “When it’s Dark Enough, You Can See the Stars.“
Find out more: robertfperkins.com
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Pat Mooney – “1966 COMPUTER DATING”
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JEANNETTE SNYDER – “THAT’S WHO I AM TODAY”
Jeanette is a free-lance editor and writing coach, as well as a skilled technical writer. She also participates in River Writing led by former Coyote Tales Storyteller, Nan Seymour of Save Our Great Salt Lake. She describes the practice as reading poetry aloud to find a prompt and then writing with pen and paper to say the truest thing we can say.
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Kristin Hunt – “MOKI, THANK YOU”
“MOKI” as painted by Judith Hutcheson
>br/>Find out more about Judith’s work at www.juduthhutcheson.com
Instagram @hutchjah
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MICAH PLAYER – “DON’T DO IT”
Micah is an illustrator of numerous children’s books and most recently, author and illustrator of “This is a Moment” His illustrations are defined by, rich color, washy textures, sharp mid-century inspired shapes and expressive ink lettering. He lives in a little house beneath a big tree in Cedar City, Utah with his lovely school teacher wife, Stephanie. Find out more oksana-marafioti.com
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Caden Doyle – “ THE ANGOR NEPHI CONNECTION”
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CHRISTOPHER COKINOS – “SURRENDER AS RESOLVE”
Chris is the author of Still as Bright: An Illuminating History of the Moon from Antiquity to Tomorrow, The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars and Hope is the Thing with Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds. He is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Rachel Carson Center in Munich, the Whiting Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the John Burroughs Prize for Best Natural History Essay, the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, and more. He is a Professor of English at the University of Arizona in their MFA program.
Find out more: christophercokinos.com
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Special thanks to Fletcher Shives, Paula and Joe Ferrario, and Alan Holben Photography