"We like to support local poets and bring to the area prominent poets that the community might not ordinarily have a chance to hear," says Kathie Isaac-Luke, the poetry center's program director.

Founded in 1978 by a group of local writers and poets, this nonprofit volunteer organization (formerly known as the San Jose Center for Poetry and Literature) also hosts readings by established poets like Japanese haiku writer Emiko Miyashita, Native American poet Joy Harjo and Robert Bly, the author of Iron John, the book that jump-started the early '90s "Iron John" sensitive-man movement.

Future poetry center guests will include Santa Cruz author Ellen Bass on Oct. 20 and Michigan automotive die designer-turned-prize-winning poet Bob Hicock on Nov. 17.

Poetry center membership fees range from $25 to $500. Members hail from all over the Bay Area, from Santa Cruz to Redwood City.

Luke says all kinds of poetry styles are demonstrated at the open readings.

"That's the way the whole poetry scene is right now. Just about everything is in vogue," Luke says. "You have some people who are now writing rhymed poetry, which had been out of style for a while, and then some people write narrative poetry or rap poetry."

Members can also have their works published in the organization's poetry journal, Cæsura. Copies of the journal are mailed to members' homes and can be found in local independent bookstores, such as Willow Glen Books.

"Our members are scattered all over the South Bay, so Cæsura is a way for them to show their poetry to their peers and also to get publicity for their books," Luke says.

The poetry center also offers writing workshops and a special monthly poetry group for residents at the San Jose mental-health facility ALLIANCE for Community Care.

Last spring, the poetry center finally completed one of its biggest projects: the restoration of its headquarters, the Edwin Markham House, a task that had taken a couple of years to finish. The house is the childhood home of poet Edwin Markham (1852­1940), whose most famous work was "The Man with the Hoe," a salute to the labor movement that was first published in the San Francisco Examiner in 1899.

The Markham House was originally located on the San José State University campus and was once used as the university's infirmary. In 1987, the house was moved to San Jose History Park. A few years later, History San Jose approached the poetry center about restoring Markham House and using it as a permanent home and a literary center, and the members agreed to move in.

After two years of restoration work, the headquarters had its grand opening last May. Part of the opening celebration included readings by poets Dana Gioia, Jack Foley and Francisco Alarcon.

"It's very exciting because we didn't have a physical center and now we do," Luke says.

Luke adds that the Markham House's upstairs floor, which has yet to be completely furnished, will house offices, while the downstairs floor will serve as a memorial for Markham and include artifacts and memorabilia from Markham's life.

For more information about Poetry Center San Jose, call 408.292.3254 or visit www.pcsj.org.