Odd Mondays: A Reading Honoring Jean Pumphrey

Audrey “Jean” Pumphrey was a gifted poet and teacher who lived to share the joys of creative writing with others. She was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1931 and attended Dennison University before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953. Jean received her M.A. in English from San Francisco State University and in 1967 began a long career teaching English and Creative Writing at the college of San Mateo. AS the founding director of the College’s Poetry Center, she brought internationally renowned poets to campus-wide events and classes. She also conducted highly successful creative writing workshops at mental hospitals and community senior centers for persons who had never written before. After Professor Pumphrey retired from the College of San Mateo in 1993, she became a founding and active member of the Marin Poetry Center, and also hosted many gatherings of poets and writers in her home in Sausalito. The beauty of the Bay and coastal waters and mountains of Marin County continually inspired her writing. Ms. Pumphrey died in 2014 while at work on this collection. This book came out via a collaborative effort by Jean’s friends.

The following poets have been invited to read poems from Jean’s book as well as one of their own
Barbara Brauer, Ella Eytan, Susan Griffin, Jackie Kudler, Louise Nayer, Kate Peper, James Nihan, Dr. Catharine Clark Sayles, Judith Levy-Sender, Ramon Sender, Doreen Stock, Al Young, Joe Zaccardi.