Poetorium Too Poetry Reading & Open Mic Featuring Laurie Rose De Lima, Michael Milligan, & Sandy Monfredo

Please join us for a special Wednesday triple feature edition of our monthly open mic and featured poetry reading series  Poetorium Too at TidePool Bookshop (located at 372 Chandler Street in Worcester, MA) on November 11th, 2026 from 5 pm to 7 pm hosted by Paul Szlosek and (hopefully) Ron Whittle.  It will be a full two hours of poetry and spoken word featuring 20 minute readings each by poets Laurie Rose De Lima,  Michael Milligan, & Sandy Monfredo followed by the passing of a hat to pay our features, a short intermission, and then an open mic with 5-minute slots for each reader if time allows (in order to fit everything planned into our allotted time, if the event runs too long, readers may be restricted to one poem).

Laurie Rose De Lima writes deeply moving poetry exploring the complex landscapes of trauma, grief, and healing. Writing in her spare time, she captures the quiet, profound moments of the human experience with raw honesty. When not writing, Laurie works professionally in the safety field. She lives with her spouse and cat, often finding peace, inspiration, and renewal in the beauty of nature. Her first collection of poetry A Journey Through Trauma & Grief was just published in July 2026.

Michael Milligan has worked as a construction laborer, migrant fruit and grape picker, homestead farmer, and commercial arts production manager. Also a musician/composer, artist and writer. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Bennington College, co-founded Poetry Oasis Worcester and was privileged to be an editor with Diner. His poetry book reviews, fiction and poems have appeared in Agni, Diner, The New Orleans Review, The Valparaiso Review, Chaffin Journal, Illuminations and others. He has been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize. He is the author of Unless I Came Back to Tell You, Kelsay Books 2021 and Failure of Flight, ICOE Press, 2026.

Sandy Monfredo lives in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Worcester State University. Sandy is a long time reader and writer of poetry. Her writing ranges from the tragic to the absurd. When not writing, Sandy can be found at museums or at the theater. Sandy’s poems have appeared in Three Decker and Worcester Magazine.   

Paul Szlosek