Q.R. Hand jr. reading poetry at Listen & Be Heard Poetry Cafe in Vallejo, CA. Photo by Stephen Jacobson.

First Issue Featured Q.R. Hand jr.

The cover of the first issue of L&BH Weekly featured Q.R. Hand jr.
The cover of the first issue of L&BH Weekly
featured Q.R. Hand jr.

Listen & Be Heard Open Mic at Rafael’s Bar in Vallejo, CA was already a successful event that had been covered in the San Francisco Chronicle when the first issue of L&BH Weekly was published on November 11, 2003, Q.R. Hand jr. was one of the first poets to show up and come back every week, and was probably Vallejo’s finest poet.

Well known all around the Bay Area for his poetry, delivered with his mesmerizing, richly deep voice, Q.R. was an integral member of the cultural community in Vallejo. I wrote a short article about him and featured some of his poetry on the second page. Also on page two, Devorah Major, who was San Francisco’s Poet Laureate at the time, and had an upcoming feature at L&BH open mic.

After investigating the print possibilities in Vallejo, we started at the copy shop. Digital Copy is a locally owned shop that gave us a good deal because they saw the value in promoting local culture. The very first issue was in a large vertical format that soon changed to folding two sheets together to make eight pages. Eventually it became unrealistic as the paper grew, and we found a printer in San Francisco that wasn’t owned by our local competition.

The second page featured some poetry by Q.R. Hand and also Devorah Major, the S.F. Poet Laureate at the time, in the community calendar.
The second page featured some poetry by Q.R. Hand and also Devorah Major, the S.F. Poet Laureate at the time, in the community calendar.

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Please participate. Say something about this and be heard.

  • to belong
    i know i go i flow i see i free i me part of whole a soul
  • Shame Game
    he covers her cage with his rage, takes her song, tells her she’s wrong, weak, shouldn’t speak. she waits long for dawn.
  • Good morning
  • Children in the Caribbean and Tribes in New York
    Martha Cinader speaks with Opal Palmer Adisa in Jamaica, author of Pretty Like Jamaica, published by Caribbean Reads. Martha also speaks with author Chavisa Woods, Executive Director of A Gathering of the Tribes in New York City. Tony Robles reads poetry from Issue 16 of A Gathering of the Tribes Magazine.
  • good morning
    one little muscovy
  • he chose me
    fresh with still-wet hair spit on my pubescent idea of fair, a wad on my head to add to my dread that he might lash out about a girl as wrong as a protest song
  • Pretty Like Jamaica, a Story Especially for Caribbean Children
    We talked about how the role of provider has changed in Jamaica, gender violence, Jamaican National language and English in the schools, choosing to live in Jamaica, and her plans for at least ten more children's books...
  • what is tomorrow?
    what is tomorrow? does memory make me? can it break me? am i what was said? was i led to dread? what’s in my head?
  • Review: A Gathering of the Tribes–The Black Lives Matter Issue
    Memory is honored, the names of those slain by police held up in a light of poetry, the fire of strength raging from our streets to the page...
  • Warehouse
    A poem by Tony Robles
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