Poetry On The Ave @ B&N

This is the first of what we hope, will become a regular fixture on the Ave.

Each event will feature a local poet who will read and discuss their work. (There will be books for sale.) The mic will then be opened up to anyone who wishes to share a poem*.

Join us to meet a local, published poet and share your work with friends.

Our first poet is Dario Cvencek.

Author bio:

Dario Cvencek is an immigrant poet from the Balkans. He started writing poetry in high school, inspired by his growing up during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, and his subsequent experiences as a refugee of war and an immigrant in Germany and the United States. His poems explore themes of war, trauma, healing, immigration, identity, spirituality, nature, food, and love. His work has appeared in independent literary magazines and presses, such as Gnashing Teeth Publishing, Beyond Words Magazine, Literary Heist, Blood+Honey, Literary Underground, Elizabeth Ellen’s Hobart, and others. He was recently featured in an anthology of political poetry Silence is Consent: American Poets Speaking to the American Conscience (Casablanca Press, 2025), as well as in an anthology of love poetry The Alien Buddha Loves You Too (Alien Buddha Press, 2025). His first full-length collection of poetry PTSD Martini was released by Carbonation Press in May 2025, and is being followed up this month by Mirror Made Of Words (Carbonation Press, 2026). He lives and works in Seattle, WA, where he also hosts a curated open mic series Speak Out Seattle (IG: @speakoutseattle_).

PTSD Martini is a collection of poetry that explores the overarching themes of war, trauma, healing, gun violence, immigration, and identity. The poems in this collection seek to capture the emotional range of war and immigrant experiences, interweaving Slavic folklore, war diaries, and uniquely Balkan stories of love and loss. The result is a hard-earned celebration of resilience and the beauty evident in even harshest of situations. The poems are often presented from a perspective of a child, yet are bold and contemporary enough in a sense that they pose some provocative ethical questions, especially in the context of immigrant (non)adjustment to life in modern-day America. These observations are offered to the reader as a testament of a tender healing journey, with some universal, introspective insights.

Mirror Made of Words is collection of poetry that explores the overarching theme of self-discovery. These are the poems about self-reflection, spirituality, search for meaning, nature, love, and growth. They seek to question, challenge, deconstruct, illuminate, and uplift. The verses are the authors’ enclave through the identity storms needed for the process of integration to take its course. Laid out bare are the emotional and philosophical struggles of the narrator, whose voice is at times curiously tender, and at times prophetically harsh. The emotions are often expressed meta-physically, with vivid comparisons. An emphasis is placed on rhythm and sound to accentuate moods; sublime and spiritual, the words in and of themselves strive to make music.

*The first 10 people to sign up on-line will have a reserved mic spot.
There will be a sign-up sheet at the event for 10 more spots, as time allows.
Mic time will be 3-5 minutes per person.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher University Book Store