Respite by the River
Thursday, April 9, 2026
The Evening Schedule:
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Live dinner music, bring your dinner, lawn chair, or blanket.
Reading by acclaimed author
Samina Najmi
Samina Najmi teaches multiethnic US literature at California State University, Fresno. Her memoir-in-essays, Sing Me a Circle: Love, Loss, and a Home in Time, won the Aurora Polaris Award in Creative Nonfiction and was published by Trio House Press in Oct, 2025. It has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and is featured among Poets & Writers’ five nonfiction debuts of the year. It is also included in the Best of 2025 roundups by Debutiful and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP). Samina’s essays have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and won other honors. Daughter of multiple migrations, Samina grew up in Pakistan and England, and has lived in Fresno since 2006. Here she has watched with wonder her children, her students, and her citrus grow.
Fresno Harp Circle
Seven of the members of the Fresno Harp Circle will make a rare public performance for your enjoyment!