The 2/17/2026 edition of Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour:

Patrick Burns (Music Director) is a Sacramento-based composer, music director, and arts administrator whose work spans musical theatre, opera, and interdisciplinary performance. At UC Davis, he previously served as accompanist for The Threepenny Opera. Regional credits include music direction and conducting for theatres and universities throughout California, New York City, and nationwide. Patrick spent five years as Production Manager at Broadway Sacramento, where he oversaw large-scale musical productions and supported the development of emerging artists. He maintains an active creative practice alongside his work in arts leadership and education.

Michael G. French is an arts and theatre events marketing specialist for the UC Davis College of Letters and Science. He promotes performances and events for the departments of Art and Art History, Cinema and Digital Media, Design, Music, and Theatre and Dance. French previously held similar positions at Southern Utah University’s College of Performing and Visual Arts, American Musical Theatre of San Jose, Pacific Conservatory Theatre and the Walnut Street Theatre. He earned his bachelor’s degree at New Jersey City University.

Susan Wolbarst is a reporter for the weekly Independent Coast Observer in rural Gualala, California. Her work has been published in pioneertownlit.com, The Ledge Poetry and Fiction Magazine, Naugatuck River Review, Poetry Now, Yolo Crow, Valley Voices, Eat This Poem Anthology, and others. She self-published one cookbook. When she’s not writing, Susan enjoys hiking, kayaking and cooking the world’s offerings in her three cast iron pans.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

The 2/10/2026 edition of Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour:

Ted Geier received his PhD. in Critical Theory and Comparative Literature from UC Davis in 2015, followed by a Mellon Postdoctoral post in the Rice University Humanities Research Center as an investigator on the Rice Seminars 2015-16 project, “After Biopolitics.” He recently co-founded and is Associate Editor of the UC Press journal, Animal History: https://online.ucpress.edu/ah His primary philosophical specialties are in moral theories pertaining to animals and environmental studies, while his broader training and expertise include narrative theory, literature and film, economic-cultural analysis, American Studies, the History of Ideas, and Interdisciplinary Humanities. He is especially interested in Disney and eco-apocalyptic themes. Dr. Geier organized an animal studies research group at UC Davis and was formerly Managing Editor of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature and Environment (Oxford UP) and Research Editor in the Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Program. He has published two books, an edited journal issue, and various book chapters and scholarly articles (mostly about animals and culture). Current projects include an edited volume on Cormac McCarthy and environment and a book on Terrence Malick.

Cristina Deptula is a a copy writer, enthusiastic publicist, and social media manager. Will find and hone your core messages, then identify and reach influencers and audiences over traditional and social media to spark worthwhile conversations about complex topics. Deptula’s freelance journalistic writing encompasses topics ranging from autism research to climate change to biophotonics to the Mars rover launch.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.

The 2/4/2026 edition of Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour

Vaani Tiwari is an IB Diploma student and emerging researcher focused on the psychology of identity, culture, and mental health. Her work explores why people think and cope the way they do, and how storytelling can make behavioral science more accessible. Tiwari's first book, an Amazon #1 bestseller in Asian American Poetry, examined adolescent mental health and identity through a narrative-psychological lens. She has since been published with Novelly, featured in literary magazines, and awarded the Governor’s Medallion in the Arts. Beyond her research, Tiwari creates psychology-centered social content with multiple viral videos and serve as an IB Ambassador at her school.

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of Memoir Nation, the co-founder of 100 Word Story, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author. He has published three books on writing: The Art of Brevity: Crafting the Very Short Story; Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo; and Brave the Page, a teen writing guide. He’s also published All the Comfort Sin Can Provide, a collection of short stories, Fissures, a collection of 100-word stories, and Nothing Short of 100: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story.

Find out more about Dr. Andy's Poetry Night Reading Series in Davis, California by visiting http://www.poetryindavis.com. Invite your friends to sign up for the mailing list. To learn more about Dr. Andy’s tiny media fiefdom, subscribe to his weekly newsletter at https://andyjones.substack.com.