Music4Romania cordially invites you to join us for the 2nd edition of DOR: A Romanian Festival on Sunday, September 14, from 4 to 10 PM at The Episcopal Church of St. Francis of Assisi, located at 3545 Cahaba Valley Road, Indian Springs, AL 35124.

This family-friendly event is FREE to attend (except for the optional seated dinner) and welcomes everyone interested in experiencing Romanian culture.

Themed “Confluence: Where Romania Meets the World,” this year’s festival celebrates Romanian culture as part of our shared global heritage. The day will feature interactive activities including a Romania 101 presentation, a Romanian language session, traditional music and dancing, literary readings, children’s activities, workshops, art exhibits, and an award-winning Romanian film.

For those interested, we are also offering a seated dinner featuring traditional Romanian cuisine for $25 per person (children under 12 eat free). A silent auction supporting Music4Romania’s programs will run throughout the event. Whether you are curious about Romanian culture, enjoy cultural festivals, or are looking for a fun family activity, we would love to have you join us for this celebration of cross-cultural understanding and community connection.

A virtual poetry reading with Majda Gama, Julia Kolchinsky, and Alina Stefanescu.

Hosted by Jared Beloff.

Tuesday, September 9th from 6 - 7pm CDT

Register online right here.

Cliterati Open Mic Featuring: Alina Stefanescu in celebration of My Heresies

By Charis Books and More/Charis Circle

Register here to attend in person— or online.

This event takes place in person at Charis and virtually on Crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. Please note that you must be physically in person to participate in the open mic portion of the event but can listen/view from anywhere.

Charis and Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic & reading series that celebrates new voices and seasoned veterans alike. Co-hosted by Karen G. and Theresa Davis, all are welcome to come and share their work. If you would like to participate as a reader or performer, all you need to do is arrive by 7:15 pm ET to sign up on the list. If you are a non-acoustic musician and would like to plug your instrument into our sound system, please contact info@chariscircle.org ahead of time to let us know so we can have the right setup for you! There are no genre, style, or form requirements, but please keep your set to under five minutes to allow everyone to have a turn!

This evening we'll be joined by the Refaat Mobile Library - a traveling, volunteer-operated, liberation library and mutual aid project. Find out more about their work here. We encourage you to support their work by donating a book or signing up to be a Library volunteer. A volunteer will be present at the event to accept in-person donations and answer questions.

This month's featured poet is Alina Stefanescu in celebration of My Heresies, a poetry collection that probes the boundaries between the sacred and the profane. The result is a hauntological mapping of life, love, family, and womanhood.

Alina Stefanescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series, Nov. 2020) and Dor, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September, 2021). Her debut fiction collection, Every Mask I Tried On, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). Alina's poems, essays, and fiction can be found in Prairie Schooner, North American Review, World Literature Today, Pleiades, Poetry, BOMB, Crab Creek Review, and others. She serves as editor, reviewer, and critic for various journals and is currently working on a novel-like creature. Her newest poetry collection My Heresies, is out from Sarabande Books. More online at www.alinastefanescuwriter.com.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

Charis Books is a fully wheelchair accessible space with on site van accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow accessible parking nearby. Additional accessibility information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304. Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event. If you would like to watch the event with live AI captions, you may do so by watching it in Google Chrome and enabling captions: Instructions here. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org.

Charis Books & More
184 S. Candler St.
Decatur, GA 30030  
(404) 524-0304

POETRY NIGHT! Maria Zoccola presents HELEN OF TROY, 1993, in conversation with Alina Stefanescu

Wednesday Aug 20th, 2025

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Maria Zoccola stopped by the store one time while touring for Helen of Troy, 1993, and we almost didn't let her leave, because she was so smart, kind, and lovely. We made her promise to come back, and here we are! Her book, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Pick, is part myth retelling, part character study, reimagining Helen of Troy as a disgruntled housewife in 1990s Tennessee. Poet Maggie Smith raves: "[it's] the most imaginative debut I've read in years."

This event is free, but please RSVP below.

Alina/Alvin reading
Sunday Aug 3rd, 2025
4pm - 5pm (CDT)
2pm Pacific / 4pm Central / 5pm Eastern

Authors Alina Stefanescu (My Heresies) and Alvin Lu (Daydreamers) will read from and discuss their new books at this online event hosted by the illustrious [name of author].

To attend on August 3, please register for this event right here and a link approximately 24 hours prior to the event will be emailed to you. Pets and kind ghosts are welcome to attend.

My Heresies: Book Talk & Signing with Alina Stefanescu
Ernest & Hadley Booksellers
Thursday, July 31, 2025
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Get tickets: space is limited.

Join us at Ernest & Hadley Booksellers for an evening of poetry, conversation, and literary exploration with acclaimed author and poet Alina Stefanescu, as she presents her highly anticipated new collection, My Heresies.

In this searing and luminous work, Stefanescu delves into the complicated intersections of belief, longing, and grief. The poems of My Heresies trace a lyrical journey from Bucharest, Romania to Birmingham, Alabama, weaving together personal and familial histories with myth, memory, and a fierce reverence for language.

Whether reimagining biblical mythologies with sardonic edge or echoing the ghost-notes of Paul Celan, Stefanescu's poetry is both lush and austere, rich in imagery and laden with subtext. Her collection is a meditation on womanhood, family, exile, and the sacred spaces where longing and loss entwine.

My Heresies will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Admission is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot today and join us for an unforgettable evening of poetry and conversation.

Ernest and Hadley Books in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A one-off for Maya Popa’s Conscious Writers Collective.

2 to 4 PM EST. But 3 to 5 pm CST. :)

A NAWP reading with Majda Gama, Julia Kolchinsky, and Alina Stefanescu

on June 16, 2025 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM CST

Register online

Poetry at TOPOS Too!

May 15th, 7 PM EST until the lights go out

Sam Kerbel, Emma Claire Foley, Alina Stefanescu (in the virtual), and Alicia Mountain!

Music4Romania cordially invites you to our second 2025 “Letters to the Future” event, an evening celebrating mothers and mother-like figures to be held on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11, at 7 PM, at Baptist Church of the Covenant located at 2117 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35233. Featured on the program will be photography and poems celebrating motherhood as well as beloved music by Enescu, Nottara, Bach, Schubert, and Ravel among others, performed by Kathleen Buccleugh, soprano; Kevin Kozak, French horn; Alina Stefanescu, poet; Daniel Szasz, violin; Alina Voicu, piano. A reception honoring all mothers present will follow the concert.

Music4Romania’s 2025 series “Letters to the Future” aims to present uplifting events that speak the language of the heart, bypassing any boundaries, building bridges and uniting people from various backgrounds, and carrying a message of hope and beauty for the future. All events are free but donations are gratefully accepted to benefit our educational and charity programs both in Romania and the US.

We look forward to seeing everyone on May 11 and at all our future events! Please reach out if you have any questions.

RSVPs encouraged at Thank You Books.

I am so very grateful to my dearest local bookstore and can’t wait to sign and share this book with my community.

A NAWP reading featuring Majda Gama, Julia Kolchinsky and Alina Stefanescu to celebrate their new books! Hosted by Jared Beloff.

One hour with Madja, Julia, and Alina. Grab a tea or a beer and join us by registering at this link.

Hosted by COUPLET READING Series and Leah Umansky.

COUPLET is a quarterly reading series, produced, curated and hosted by poet Leah Umansky since 2011. It features both emerging and established poets and is co-hosted by The Red Room.
[Please note this is a historical building and sadly does not have handicap accessibility. The event is on the top floor and there is a two drink minimum].
This event is sponsored by Poets & Writers Magazine.

Readers for our National Poetry Month Edition are:
1. Rita Dove
2. Jennifer Espinoza
3. Majda Gama
4. Julia Kolchinsky
5. Abi Pollokoff
6. Alina Stefanescu

ROUNDTABLE: Poets sometimes use other artists' work as an entry point for addressing societal issues. Visual art can provide a way of triangulating trauma, for example, offering a necessary distance to look at the overwhelming, or provide a unique lens through which to reflect on an overwhelming subject. What ethical and artistic pitfalls must we be mindful of in adopting such strategies? How do we give voice to political upheaval without appropriating others' experiences? What is the role of privilege in having the distance and platform to speak about others who are silenced by history and/or oppression? How have aspects of 21st century media and political environments affected our conception of both ekphrasis and witness? Through short readings and discussion, Ariel Francisco, Brad Richard, Alina Stefanescu, and Andy Young will address these issues and others that may arise. Alina Stefanescu will moderate. 

At New Orleans Poetry Festival 2025.

Sun, 04/13/2025 - 3:00 pm

Location Room 250, New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave

Sacred and Somatic Panel: Poetry is kin to prayer and spells not only in its aims—to praise and petition the more-than-human world—but in its bodied mechanisms of repetition and rhythm. This roundtable considers the craft of spiritual seeking through poetry, emphasizing the transformative powers of literary language and drawing from diverse literary, religious, and ecopoetic traditions. Panelists also offer a handout of prompts for writers to consider in their own journeys.

Panelists: Alina Stefanescu, Nadia Alexis, Karen An-hwei Lee, and Lesley Wheeler

Sat, 04/12/2025 - 3:00 pm in Room 250, New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave

At New Orleans Poetry Festival 2025.

Co-hosted by Pleiades, The Dodge Magazine, & Rescue Press
7 PM, Thursday, 03/27

Pico Union Project Dining Hall
1153 Valencia Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Readers: Heather Christle, Jason McCall, Alina Stefanescu, CJ Shuttle, Alyssa Perry, Madeline McDonnell

Book signing at Sarabande Books from 1 PM to 2 Pm with Corey Van Landingham
AWP Book Fair
Sarabande Booth 317

AWP: Reading with Asterism Publishing
Wednesday March 26th, 2025
6:00PM - 8:00PM

Featuring

Orchid Tierney (Calimari)
[name of author] (Sublunary/ITC)
Alvin Lu (FC2)
Michael Holt (Sublunary)
Vik Shirley (Sublunary)
Alina Stefanescu (Sarabande)
Emilio Carrero (Calamari)
 

Stories Books & Cafe
1716 W Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

Students compete in three categories - anthology recitation, original poetry, and social issue poetry, and perform poetry from memory.

Are you ready to enjoy the beautiful sights, sounds, and tastes of Romania without a passport? Music4Romania (www.music4romania.org)cordially invites you to DOR: A Romanian Festival to be held at The Episcopal Church of St. Francis of Assisi (www.saintfrancisindiansprings.org, 3545 Cahaba Valley Road, Indian Springs, AL 35124) on Sunday, September 22, 2024, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM. A free, family-friendly event, the festival will include traditional music and dance, poetry, children’s activities, and an ongoing arts exhibit and silent auction benefiting Music4Romania. A seated dinner featuring Romanian cuisine will also be offered, at a charge of $20/person (children under 12 eat free). Activities appropriate for children will be provided throughout the duration of the festival. Everyone is invited and welcome!

For more info and to RSVP for the seated dinner, please email Dr. Alina Voicu at avoicu1970@gmail.com or call (205)807-5814. We look forward to seeing you on September 22!

FESTIVAL PROGRAM 

4:00 PM - ROMANIA: Land of Legends, Beauty, and Wilderness 

Learn a few interesting facts about beautiful Romania at a short presentation led by Alina Voicu and George Ponta highlighting the country’s rich history, mysterious legends, natural beauty, and painted monasteries, among others. Poems read by Romanian sculptor-poet Mircea Lӑcӑtuṣ will conclude the presentation. 

4:30 PM - Music & Dance Corner with Arrhythmia String Quartet 

Listen to traditional Romanian music and learn to dance one of the most famous Romanian folk dances, the Hora, at an interactive event featuring Arrhythmia String Quartet. The program will include beloved traditional selections such as Ciuleandra, Hora Mӑrṭiṣorului, Porumbescu’s Balada, and the Wedding Suite from Maramureṣ featuring the unique trumpet-violin. 

5:30 PM - Children’s Corner Children and all young at heart are invited to learn a few Romanian words, have their faces painted with traditional Romanian designs, and participate in various arts & crafts activities, including making Marṭiṣoare (traditional Romanian good luck charms) and Romanian bracelets. 

6:30 PM - Poetry Corner with Alina Ṣtefӑnescu Enjoy award-winning poet Alina Ṣtefӑnescu

Listen to Alina reading poems that draw Romanian folk idioms and myths into a father’s explanation to a daughter of why they left their homeland. There will also be various symbolic objects and folk art on display, most of it from Transylvania. The poems are dedicated to Alina’s father, Doru Ṣtefӑnescu. 

7:00 PM - Poftӑ Bunӑ (Bon Appétit): A Seated Romanian Dinner Spoil your taste buds by joining us for a seated dinner featuring some of the most popular and delicious traditional Romanian dishes. Featured on the menu will be Zacuscӑ (Vegetable spread), Ouӑ umplute (Romanian-style deviled eggs), Salatӑ de Boeuf (Vegetable and beef salad), Mӑmӑligӑ cu brȃnzӑ si smȃntanӑ (Polenta with cheese and sour cream), and Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls). Romanian desserts and wines will also be served. Please RSVP to avoicu1970@gmail.com by September 15. Cost per person is $20.00, children under 12 eat free. 

FEATURED DISPLAYS

-Arts Exhibit featuring painting, photography, sculpture, traditional folk costumes and more

-Silent Auction benefiting Music4Romania

In structural conditions that narrow what gets published, whether by political systems that legislate repressive ideologies against free speech or by economic structures that prevent critical and system-challenging work from being published, the zine works from a tradition of grassroots publishing. The zine isn't working to get into the elite circles (though sometimes it does): the zine is working to speak, to say, to share, and to imagine power differently.

In this zine-making workshop, join MCPF board member, celebrated writer and poet Alina Stefanescu as you endeavor to make your very own zine. Supplies needed: white paper (printer or otherwise), a writing utensil, glue, and optional collage materials (magazines, etc).

April 17th from 6 pm to 7 pm CST

FREE TO ALL.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE.

A poetry month celebration with the poets Adrian Dallas Frandle, Alina Stefanescu,and Leah Umansky. Hosted by Nicole Tallman.

ELJ Editions & Redacted Books present

The Be Well Reading Series' Celebration of Poetry Month

REGISTER ONLINE

Hosted by Nicole Tallman

Thursday, April 4, 7-8 p.m. EST via Zoom

Featured Readers: Adrian Dallas Frandle, Alina Stefanescu, & Leah Umansky

Bios:

Adrian Dallas Frandle (they/he) is a queer fish who writes to and for the world about its future. They are Poetry Acquisitions Editor at Variant Lit. Book of Extraction: Poems with Teeth is out now with Kith Books. Adrian's work is published in various print and online journals. Read more at adriandallas.com.

Alina Stefanescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series, Nov. 2020) and Dor, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September, 2021). Her debut fiction collection, Every Mask I Tried On, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). She serves as editor, reviewer, and critic for various journals and is currently working on a novel-like creature. Her new poetry collection will be published by Sarabande in 2025. More online atalinastefanescuwriter.com.

Leah Umansky is an educator, curator, collagist and writer in New York City. She is the author of Of Tyrant, and two other full-length collections of poetry, The Barbarous Century and Domestic Uncertainties, and two chapbooks, Straight Away the Emptied World and the Mad-Men inspired Don Dreams and I Dream. Leah earned her MFA in Poetry at Sarah Lawrence College and has curated and hosted The COUPLET Reading Series in NYC since 2011. She has taught workshops to writers of all ages in such places as The Poetry School (UK), Hudson Valley Writers Center, and Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Visible Ink Program. She can be found at leahumansky.com, @lady_bronte on Twitter or @leah.umansky on Instagram.

Michael Martone, Madeline Simms, and Alina Stefanescu will be reading from recent work at Tuscaloosa’s very own Druid City Brewing Company.

Pure Products Reading with Martone, Simms, and Stefanescu
Thursday Nov. 3o, 2023

700 14th St, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States, 35401

Sponsored by the University of Alabama English Deparment of English.

More information on Facebook Pure Products Reading page.

On zoom. Registration details forthcoming.