In conjunction with To Exalt the Ephemeral, BAMPFA presents a reading with three Bay Area poets: Sophia Dahlin, Forrest Gander, and Noah Ross. Their divergent practices—touching on themes of everyday experience, ecological engagement, and queer legacies—engage with the many facets of the ephemeral as they can be approached through language.

Sophia Dahlin co-runs Eyelet Press and two house reading series in the East Bay. Her first book, Natch, was published in 2020, and her next book is forthcoming in 2025.

Forrest Gander is a poet, novelist, and translator whose collection Be With was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. He has collaborated frequently with other artists, including Ashwini Bhat, Eiko & Koma, Ann Hamilton, Graciela Iturbide, Sally Mann, and Raymond Meeks.

Noah Ross is a poet in the East Bay and the author of The Dogs, Active Reception, and Types. Ross edits Baest: a journal of queer forms & affects.