Edge 31: a Reading Series of Emerging and Younger Writers
Curator: Melissa Buckheit
Melissa Buckheit's Bio |
A note from the curator: I have often wanted to listen to authors who are in the same place in their career as myself--emerging, published in journals, with a chapbook and/or a first full-length book, still growing but full of passion, new ideas, and an edge. But there is often infrequent opportunity for this; in fact, I have often felt disappointed in the lack, that such an open community might often be circumscribed in its literary programming. Additionally, featuring emerging writers engages other young as well as established writers, to support, frequent and attend Casa Libre and other writing events. This cycle creates the foundation for a writing community which self-generates, remains true, open, and allows many voices the opportunity for visibility and being heard. I want Tucson to be an artistic community which includes and features many voices and peoples. Literature is the province of communication, but also reflectivity, the reflection and representation of all our narratives and of new narratives and ideas, voices which are challenging and also challenge us. |
Sherwin Bitsui, Dolores Connelly,
&
Arianne Zwartjes
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
7:30 p.m.
Suggested Donation: $5
Come to Edge: A Reading Series of Emerging and Younger Writers. Edge is a series of local and national writers and cross-genre artists, emphasizing diversity of narrative, identity and literary source. Its purpose is to create community, visibility and voice for emerging and younger writers. Broadsheets of the authors' work will accompany each reading. Books and journals will be available for purchase and signing by the authors. Refreshments will be available after the reading.
Readers:
Sherwin Bitsui is the author of two poetry books, Shapeshift (University of Arizona Press, 2003), and Flood Song (Copper Canyon Press, 2009). His honors include a Whiting Writers Award, a 2010 PEN Open Book Award and an American Book Award. He is originally from Baa’oogeedí (White Cone, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. Currently, he lives in Tucson. He is Diné of the Todich’íi’nii (Bitter Water Clan), born for the Tł’ízíłání (Many Goats Clan).
Dolores Connelly has recently completed her first book-length manuscript of poetry, A Twisted Balance: One-Line Haiku and a Few Senryu, dedicated to people forced from their homelands or houses. Her award winning poetry has been used as postcard and street art. Published in StreetWise, American Pen Women’s Palomar Showcase, and by Springtide Press (Tacoma, Washington, 2010) as SHEETS, an artist book by Jessica Spring, in a limited edition of 30. SHEETS has been juried into galleries in Oregon, Washington, and New York and been acquired by the Special Collections departments of Yale University, Swarthmore College, University of Washington, University of Puget Sound, and Northwestern University. Moving to Tucson from Chicago in 2004, Dolores is proud to join Tucson’s community of poets. She has read on KXCI’s A Poet’s Moment, hosted by Ron Cipriani, and with Liza Porter’s Other Voices. Contact: d_e_connelly@yahoo.com.
Arianne Zwartjes is an EMT and a poet, and teaches in the English Department at the University of Arizona. She is the author of The Surfacing of Excess (winner of the 2009 Blue Lynx Poetry Prize from Eastern Washington University Press), (Stitched) A Surface Opens: Essays (DIAGRAM/NMP), and Disem(body) (forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press in August 2011). Excerpts from her new project, a collection of medically-themed lyric essays, can be found on Terrain.org, The Umbrella Factory, and Back Room Live, and in the current issue of Ninth Letter.
Next Edge Reading will be held on March 23.
Past Edge Readings:
January 2011
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
