Past Programs | Directions to Casa Libre

Edge 67: a Reading Series of Emerging and Younger Writers
w/Jade Beall, Beth Braun and the Esperanza Dance Project,
& Karen Falkenstrom

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.

Wednesday, July 16
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:

Jade Beall is a Tucson, AZ based world-renown photographer specializing in truthful images of women to inspire feeling irreplaceably beautiful as a counter-balance to the airbrushed photoshopped imagery that dominates main stream media. Her recent work "A Beautiful Body Project" has touched 100,000's of women's lives and garnered global attention from media outlets including the BBC, The Huffington Post & beyond. Jade's book series and media platform feature untouched photos of women alongside their stories of their journeys to build self-esteem in a world that thrives off women feeling insecure. Jade's dream is to inspire future generations of women to be free from the unnecessary self-suffering and embrace their beauty just as they are. "I am here to be a facilitator for living Heaven on Earth. I am here to support Your Waking Dream. I am here to stand in my Authentic Beauty and reflect Your Divine Gorgeousness. I am here to be a radiant reflection of Life. I am Life. You are Life. All of this that we are and that we have: is Divine. All of this is: Magic. All of this: Just Is." -Jade Beall

Beth Braun is a professional modern dancer and the Artistic Director and Founder of Esperanza Dance Project. She has been referred to as “riveting” and “magnetic” in reviews by former dance critic, Gene Armstrong of the Arizona Daily Star. She has been performing professionally and teaching since 1982 in Tucson, throughout Arizona, in New York, California, and internationally. Originally from New York, Beth received her MA Degree in Dance Performance and Choreography from State University of New York at Brockport. Beth has worked with just about every modern dance company in Tucson, starting back with Territory Dance Theatre and including being the associate director of ORTS Theater of Dance (OTO Dance) and ZUZI Dance Company, and while in NY she studied at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, worked with Joy Kellman and Company and Randy James Danceworks and had work created for her by independent choreographers. She has taught every age student from 13 month old babies to 60 year old differently-abled adults. Between the years of 1998 and 2005, prior to her founding and directing The Esperanza Dance Project, Beth created and produced her own work with singer-songwriter, Arthur Miscione. Through their work together they created and funded with yearly performances, a Pediatric Heart Transplant fund at University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ and received the Tucson Weekly’s “staff pick” for the best new dance performance. Beth was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Buffalo Exchange Arts Award.

The Esperanza Dance Project is a multi-media performance project whose mission is to raise awareness, create visibility and educate teens and adults about childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault, through the use of specific age-appropriate high school educational curriculum; multimedia high school performance assemblies; post and pre-performance educational community-supported and teen-led discussion sessions; and on-going teen peer advocacy by project members and high school students. Through integrated assembly tours throughout Tucson public, charter and other high schools, EDP strives not only to educate, create visibility through art, and provide resources for teen advocacy, but also to deliver a message of hope, strength and empowerment for primarily teen to young adult audiences which models methods of community conversation and peer-led engagement. EDP developed out of a need to address the topic of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault/rape in a manner that is both empowering to teens and co-created by teens, and through a format or medium that allows for education, visibility, accessibility, and demystification. EDP was founded in January 2011 by Beth Braun, a professional dancer and high school dance educator who directs the Dance Program at Rincon/University High School, in conjunction with community members with expertise and backgrounds in behavioral health, non-profit sexual assault services, creative writing, dance, high school education, high school counseling, as well as high school teens with an interest in the subject. Esperanza Dance Project is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.

Karen Falkenstrom is co-founder and Director of Odaiko Sonora, Tucson's taiko (Japanese ensemble drumming) team. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and a BS in architectural design from the University of Virginia. Her 30 years of arts activism includes arts education, collaboration and administration. She co-founded Kore Press and InConcert! Tucson, and has served as Events Coordinator for the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Director of the Tucson Poetry Festival, and Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Tucson Pima Arts Council. Karen received a YWCA Woman on the Move award (2007), the 2008 Pan-Asian Community Alliance Woman of the Year award, and the 2009 Arizona Arts Award. Her written work has appeared in such journals as Prairie Schooner and Colorado Review.

Next Edge Reading will be held September 10.

June 2014

May 2014

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Dec 2013

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