The following report comes from the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts at UNCG, courtesy of Shawn Delgado.
UNCG-Affiliated & Campus Literary Events:
Trudy Lewis and Cathy Carr Alumni Fiction Reading—Thursday, March 26th, 7:00 PM
Faculty Center, UNCG
Free and open to the public
From the UNCG Creative Writing MFA Program: “The MFA Writing Program at Greensboro, The Greensboro Review, The UNCG College of Arts & Sciences, and the UNCG Alumni Association will host a fiction reading by UNCG alums Trudy Lewis and Cathy Carr on Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 PM in the UNCG Faculty Center on College Avenue. The event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a book signing.
Trudy Lewis is the author of the recently released novel, The Empire Rolls, a short story collection, The Bones of Garbo, winner of the Sandstone Prize in Short Fiction, and the novel Private Correspondences, which won the William Goyen Prize. Lewis’s fiction has appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Best American Short Stories, Cimarron Review, Meridian, New England Review, Prairie Schooner, and other journals. She serves as the director of the creative writing program at the University of Missouri.
Cathy Carr was born in Nebraska. She received her BA from Duke University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was a Randall Jarrell Fellow. Her short fiction appears in a variety of literary journals and magazines including The Greensboro Review, Ploughshares, Iron Horse Literary Review, and Narrative Magazine. Carr lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.”
Mark Smith-Soto Book Launch Celebration: Time Pieces—Saturday, March 28th, 4:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to join this celebration of Dr. Mark Smith-Soto’s most recent collection, now out on Main Street Rag. Any proceeds from sales will go to Greensboro’s own Unicorn Press which publishes contemporary poetry chapbooks and full-length collections. There will be refreshments, poetry, and the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mark Smith-Soto who has been Editor of the International Poetry Review and a staple of both the UNCG and Greensboro literary community where he formerly was a Professor of Spanish and served as the Director of the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts. The Center for Creative Writing in the Arts would like to directly congratulate Dr. Smith-Soto on the latest of his poetic endeavors.
Community Literary Events:
Sable Books International Women’s Day Reading and Reception—Sunday, March 8th, 2:30 PM Reception, Readings from 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “‘In 2013, the Female Artist Collective hosted the first ever Female Artist Takeover in Greensboro. We are thrilled to honor and continue recognizing this special date on Sunday, March 8, 2015, by hosting this powerful reading by local female poets and writers.’
Join us in welcoming Malissa Hassard and featured guest Jaki Shelton Green, with Debra Kaufman, Verónica Grossi, Ashley “Milli” Lumpkin, Barbara Kenyon, Trudi Young Taylor, Sheryl Rider, and Birgul Tuzlali, with music by Stephanie Lindley, for an afternoon of discussion, empowering poetry and essays, and more. Find more information at SableBooks.org: http://
Reception begins at 2:30 p.m. Join our guests for wine or coffee and get a chance to meet everyone. The reading begins at 3:00 p.m. and goes to 5:00 p.m.”
Cave Wall Reading with Meg Kearney—Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
Cave Wall, published twice a year, is a national literary magazine dedicated to publishing the best in contemporary poetry. Poems first published in Cave Wall have been featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, The Writer's Almanac, and in the Best American Poetry and Best New Poets awards anthologies.
‘Cave Wall reminds me of why I started writing poetry in the first place.’ - Natasha Trethewey
‘Cave Wall is my new favorite journal. Elegantly printed, thoughtfully edited, Cave Wall gathers together wonder-filled poems with spare drawings to create the perfect read. This is how it should be done!’ - Sebastian Matthews
Meg Kearney’s most recent collection of poems for adults, Home By Now (Four Way Books 2009), was winner of the 2010 PEN New England LL Winship Award; it was also a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize andForeword Magazine’s Book of the Year. The title poem of Home By Now is included in Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems: American Places anthology (Viking Penguin 2011). Meg’s first collection of poetry, An Unkindness of Ravens, was published by BOA Editions Ltd. in 2001, and is still in print. She is author of two novels in verse for teens, both of which come with teacher’s guides: The Secret of Me (Persea Books in 2005), and its sequel, The Girl in the Mirror (Persea Books, 2012). Her story ‘Chalk’ appears in Sudden Flash Youth: 65 Short Short Stories, published by Persea Books in fall 2011.”
Book Lovers’ Social with Lynne Chandler Willis—Thursday, March 12th, 6:00 PM-8:30 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “You are invited to the sixth annual Greensboro Public Library celebration of Book Lovers' Month. Connect with your fellow book lovers, find out about local book clubs, vote for your favorite discussion books of 2014, and see displays of hot books for 2015. Join us for a seminar on the Greensboro Public Library's e-resources at 6 pm and meet writer Lynne Chandler Willis, author of private eye novel Wink of an Eye who will give a reading at 7:30 pm. The social also features door prizes, food, and music. Register to attend by e-mailing Beth Sheffield or calling 336-373-3617.”
Judith Behar Poetry Reading: A Green Bough—Thursday, March 12th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Judith Behar, a retired lawyer, writes fiction and award-winning poetry. Her poems have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Crucible, Main Street Rag, Fire and Chocolate, Pine Song, and Voices from the Porch. Her short stories have been published by the Charlotte Writers Group and the Writers Group of the Triad. Before becoming a civil rights and family law attorney, she taught English at Guilford College. She has led poetry workshops for HopeWell Cancer Support in Baltimore and for the New Garden Friends poetry group in Greensboro. Judith sits on the board of WGOT and is the Publicity Director for the 2014-2016 term.”
Second Saturdays Poetry Reading and Open Mic: Terri Kirby Erickson and Helen Losse—Saturday, March 14th, 7:00 PM
Tate St. Coffee House, 334 Tate St., Greensboro, NC
Free and open to the public; canned food donation for open mic
From the Women Writers of the Triad: “Women Writers of the Triad and Tate Street Coffee House have partnered up to create Second Saturdays, a community-wide event, featuring poets from across the state. Meet the poets, hear their work and enjoy an evening of fine poetry and community.
*** OPEN MIC PARTICIPANTS *** Please bring a canned good to donate to Greensboro Urban Ministry along with your latest piece to try out on the crowd.
March's Featured Women Poets: Terri Kirby Erickson and Helen Losse
The evening runs from 7:00pm-9:00pm. For details on each month's featured poets, check the calendar on our website (wwot.org/calendar), or connect with us on Facebook to stay tuned in!”
North Carolina native Terri Kirby Erickson is the author of four collections of poetry, including In the Palms of Angels (Press 53, 2011) and A Lake of Light and Clouds (Press 53, 2014). Among her numerous poetry awards are a Nautilus Book Award, the Joy Harjo Poetry Prize, a Gold Medal for Poetry in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the Poetry for Their Freedom Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Asheville Poetry Review, 2013 Poet's Market, Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac, Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry, Verse Daily, The Christian Science Monitor, North Carolina Literary Review and many others. For more information about her work, please see her website at www.terrikirbyerickson.com.
Helen Losse is the author of six collections of poetry, including Facing a Lonely West. Her poems have been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize, and three times for a Best of the Net award, one of which was a finalist. The former Poetry Editor for The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, she is now an Associate Editor for Kentucky Review.
Third Sundays at Three Poetry and Open Mic—Sunday, March 15th, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Common Grounds (602 S Elam Ave, Greensboro, NC, USA)
Free and open to the public
From the Writers Group of the Triad: “Join us for a stimulating program at Common Grounds featuring poets Judy Behar and Jacinta V. White.
Judy Behar taught English at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and later practiced law for 30 years. She has had poems and short stories published in several magazines and anthologies including Main Street Rag, Fire and Chocolate, Voices from the Porch, and Law and Disorder.
Her chapbook, A Green Bough has just been published by Finishing Line Press. She is the facilitator of WGOT’s short fiction critique group.
Jacinta V. White is a NC Arts Council Teaching Artist and was the first to receive the Press 53 Open Award in Poetry in 2008. Finishing Line Press published her first chapbook of poetry broken ritual in 2012. Jacinta has also been published in Blackberry Magazine, Typoetic.us, The New Verse News, and Prime Number Magazine.
Jacinta founded The Word Project – a company dedicated to using poetry as a catalyst for personal and community healing. It is launching a new online literary journal – Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing. Find out more at www.jacintawhite.com and www.poetryheals.com.”
Poet Marjorie Norris Reading—Sunday, March 15th, 3:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Marjorie Norris has published poems in Wide Open, Jugglers’ World, Arizona Mandala, Poets Against Apartheid, Room of Our Own Buffalo News, Beyond Bones, Translation of Silence, Santa Rosa Review, Rain and Thunder, The Other Herald, Artvoioce, Persimmon Tree, Words over Easy, and Brigid’s Fire. Upcoming poems will be in Earth’s Daughters and A celebration of Western New York Poets. She has won Just Buffalo’s Writer in Residence award for poetry, and an honorable mention in Greensboro, NC Triad award, also teaching at Womonwrites in Atlanta, Feminist Writers in Ithaca, State University at Buffalo’s Women’s Studies Poetry Project and Just Buffalo’s Writers-In-Education. She received two New York State Council on the Arts grants to explore writing with those living with HIV, which is included in the anthology Full Circle. Marjorie Norris has taught at Chautauqua Institution Special Studies Program in Writing and did a workshop for the Roycroft Wordsmiths. Her books include Chautauqua Breathing, Two Suns, Two Moons, Resilience, and Woodland Heart, including an anthology called Trees of Surprise, about an October storm in 2007.”
Bookmarks Presents: A Teen Panel, A Night with Four Young Adult Novelists—Monday, March 16th, 7:00 PM
Salem College, Winston-Salem, See Bookmarks.org for more information
Free and open to the public
From Bookmarks: “Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures & Dangerous Creatures novels with 2014 Festival author Margaret Stohl. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller and Bram Stoker Award nominated novel Unbreakable, and the sequel Unmarked, in the Legion Series. Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The film adaptation released in theaters in 2013 from Warner Brothers.
Kami is fascinated by the paranormal, and she's very superstitious. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found watching disaster movies or Supernatural, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke. She lives in Maryland with her family, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Learn more about Kami and her books at www.kamigarcia.com and www.TheLegionSeries.com and follow her on Twitter: @kamigarcia.
Stephanie Perkins writes novels for teens (and for adults who aren't afraid to admit that teen books are awesome). She was born in South Carolina, raised in Arizona, attended universities in San Francisco and Atlanta, and now lives in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Her best friend is her husband Jarrod. Their house is almost a hundred years old, and every room is painted a different color of the rainbow. They share it with a cat named Mr. Tumnus.
Stephanie’s always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. On weekdays, you'll find her at her desk, typing away, downing cups of coffee and tea. On the weekend, you'll find her at the movies, waiting for the actors to kiss. She believes all novels and films should have more kissing. She is the author of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After.
North Carolina native Brendan Reichs attended Wake Forest University where he earned a B.A. in History. He then moved to DC and enrolled at The George Washington University School of Law in Foggy Bottom. After three long years working as a litigation attorney, he abandoned the trade to co-write the ‘Virals’ series with his mother, bestselling author Kathy Reichs. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, their two children, a playful pit bull mix named Soldier, and two ferocious cats, Fenway and Wrigley. He plans to keep on writing novels until they drag him kicking and screaming from his desk. His new book is Terminal, the fifth in the ‘Virals’ series.
Carrie Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Forest of Hands and Teeth series, which has been translated into over eighteen languages and is in development as a major motion picture. She is also the editor of the anthology Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction, as well as author of Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer, the second book in Scholastic's new multi-author/multi-platform series for middle grade readers.
Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer husband, two fat cats and one large rescue mutt in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse. You can find her online at www.carrieryan.com or @CarrieRyan.”
Greensboro Public Libraries Presents: Monday Night Poetry—Monday, March 16th, 7:00 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “Celebrate rhythm and rhyme every third Monday with an open mic session for all area poets sponsored by the Friends of the Greensboro Public Library. Join us! For more information, visit the Triad Poetry Meet Up website. Questions? Contact Beth Sheffield at 336-373-3617”
Women Speak Open Mic—Friday, March 20th, 8:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Poet.she's Women Speak started out as a monthly open mic series to highlight prominent female artists and writers in the community. Women Speak was birthed out of the vision to bring noted and accomplished writers and poets to Greensboro as a way to connect them with people that may otherwise never see them. The show features live music, an open mic, and a special featured guest every month! Make this your stop to unwind for the weekend. Open mic is always open and free!”
Melville Support Group—Tuesday, March 24th, 7:00 PM; Tuesday, March 31st: 10:30 AM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Have you always wanted to read Moby Dick but needed a little extra support? We're here to help. We'll be reading Melville's classic over three months and we'll meet to talk about it. Read to chapter 42 by March 24th (7pm), or March 31 (10:30am) and join us! 24-hour support line available to all members.”
Liza Weiland and Michael Parker Fiction Reading—Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Liza Wieland is the author of three novels, three collections of short fiction, and a volume of poems. Her work has been awarded two Pushcart Prizes, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and the Michigan Literary Fiction Award. She teaches at East Carolina University and lives near Oriental, NC, with her husband and daughter.”
“Michael Parker is the author of five novels - Hello Down There, Towns Without Rivers, Virginia Lovers, If You Want Me To Stay, The Watery Part of the World and two collections of stories, The Geographical Cure and Don't Make Me Stop Now. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in various journals including Five Points, the Georgia Review, The Idaho Review, the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, Oxford American, Shenandoah, The Black Warrior Review, Trail Runner and Runner's World. He has received fellowships in fiction from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Hobson Award for Arts and Letters, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His work has been anthologized in the Pushcart, New Stories from the South and O. Henry Prize Stories anthologies. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, he is a Professor in the MFA Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.”
Allan Gurganus Fiction Reading: Decoy—Thursday, March 26th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Decoy, the concluding novella of Allan Gurganus’s hugely acclaimed Local Souls, was hailed as the standout of that work. Critics called it ‘humane, profound, hilarious, nostalgic, the literary equivalent of a bare-knuckled knockout punch’ (Miami Herald). Like Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day it is a haunting lyrical portrayal of a life half-led. Set in Mythical Falls, North Carolina, this mysterious and compelling tale maps the lifelong eroticized friendship between two married men. When Doc Roper, the town’s beloved physician, announces he is retiring from practice to carve exquisite duck decoys, he triggers an epidemic of catastrophes. His dependent patient and next-door neighbor, Bill Mabry, feels cut loose. Then the close-knit town is devastated by a flood of near-biblical proportions. Working inexorably ‘to an unexpected moment of catharsis’ (Dwight Garner, New York Times) Decoy—already emerging as an essential work of American literature—charts the tender border between life and death.”
Mark Smith-Soto Book Launch Celebration: Time Pieces—Saturday, March 28th, 4:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to join this celebration of Mark Smith-Soto’s most recent collection, now out on Main Street Rag. There will be refreshments, poetry, and the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mark Smith-Soto who has been Editor of the International Poetry Review and a staple of both the UNCG and Greensboro literary community where he previously served as the Director of the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts.
WGoT National Poetry Month Kick-Off with NC Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson—Sunday, March 29th, 2:00 PM
Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, 200 N. Davie Street, Greensboro, NC. 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Writers Group of the Triad: “On Sunday, March 29, 2:00-4:00 pm., The Writers Group of the Triad proudly presents 2015 North Carolina’s Poet Laureate, Shelby Stephenson. Come sip tea as he engages the audience in an entertaining afternoon of poetry, conversation, and an explanation about his process of writing.
Among a range of awards won for his twelve (12) books, Stephenson won the 2001 North Carolina Award in Literature and Bellday Poetry Prize. Stephenson’s most recent book, Play My Music Anyhow, came out in 2013 and he served as the long time editor of Pembroke magazine. Growing up near Benson in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, he has said, “My early teachers were the thirty-five foxhounds my father hunted. The trees and streams, fields, the world of my childhood…” Stephenson has recorded four albums of music with his wife Linda, and Plankhouse, a documentary film, was made about his work.
Gourmet teas by Teahugger will be provided along with light refreshments. The event will be held in the atrium of the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, 200 N. Davie Street, Greensboro, NC. 27401, and is free and open to the public.”
Amazing Place (Essays on North Carolina) Book Release with Collection Editor Marianne Ginger—Monday, March 30th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Some of us understand place in terms of family and community, landscape, or even the weather. For others, the idea of place becomes more distinct and particular: the sound of someone humming while washing dishes, the musical cadence of a mountain accent, the smell of a tobacco field under the hot Piedmont sun. Some of North Carolina’s finest writers ruminate on the meaning of place in this collection of twenty-one original essays, untangling North Carolina's influence on their work, exploring how the idea of place resonates with North Carolinians, and illuminating why the state itself plays such a significant role in its own literature.
Authors from every region of North Carolina are represented, from the Appalachians and the Piedmont to the Outer Banks and places in between. Amazing Place showcases a mix of familiar favorites and newer voices, expressing in their own words how North Carolina shapes the literature of its people.
Contributors include Rosecrans Baldwin, Will Blythe, Belle Boggs, Fred Chappell, Jan DeBlieu, Pamela Duncan, Clyde Edgerton, Ben Fountain, Marianne Gingher, Judy Goldman, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Randall Kenan, Jill McCorkle, Michael McFee, Lydia Millet, Robert Morgan, Jenny Offill, Michael Parker, Bland Simpson, Lee Smith, Wells Tower, and Monique Truong.
Marianne Gingher is professor of English and comparative literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and editor of Long Story Short: Flash Fiction by Sixty-Five of North Carolina’s Finest Writers.
Melville Support Group—Tuesday, March 24th, 7:00 PM; Tuesday, March 31st: 10:30 AM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Have you always wanted to read Moby Dick but needed a little extra support? We're here to help. We'll be reading Melville's classic over three months and we'll meet to talk about it. Read to chapter 42 by March 24th (7pm), or March 31 (10:30am) and join us! 24-hour support line available to all members.”
Hotel Worthy, Poetry by Valerie Neiman: Book Release Party—Tuesday, March 31st, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Valerie Nieman's poems have appeared widely and been collected in two chapbooks and her debut collection, Wake Wake Wake (Press 53). She has held writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her books of prose include three novels, with the most recent, Blood Clay, being honored with the Eric Hoffer Award. She is a graduate of West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte. A professor of creative writing at North Carolina A&T State University, she teaches at John Campbell Folk School and other venues, and serves as poetry editor for Prime Number Magazine. You may encounter her on a train, or solo hiking, or over a cup of lemon-ginger tea at a local bookstore.”
The Southern Poetry Anthology—Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Conceived by Series Editor William Wright in 2003, The Southern Poetry Anthology is a projected twelve-to-sixteen volume project celebrating established and emerging poets of the American South, published by Texas Review Press. Inspired by single-volume anthologies such as Leon Stokesbury's The Made Thing, Gil Allen's A Ninety-Six Sampler, and Guy Owen and Mary C. Williams' Contemporary Southern Poetry: an Anthology, The Southern Poetry Anthology aspires to provide readers with a documentary-like survey of the best poetry being written in the American South at the present moment.
Specifically, the editors' goals are twofold: first, to re-establish poetry of the South as a major presence in American literature, and second, to include a greater range of poets from the South to introduce a new poetic geography, a fresh corpus of what we understand to be ‘Southern Poetry.’ In doing so, the editors intend to create volumes for each southern state, including ‘border’ states such as Texas, Florida, Kentucky, and Arkansas, as well as to establish volumes dedicated to entire sub-regions, including the Appalachian South (Volume III, now available) and the Gulf Coast.
All volumes published and forthcoming include poets who enjoy national reputations, as well as new poets who have already achieved interesting, textured voices.”
Eclectic Book Club—Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Friendly Center, 3102 Northline Avenue, Greensboro
Free and open to the public
From Barnes & Noble: “Join this fun-filled but focused book group that reads from a wide variety of genres. This month is our annual reader's choice month. Read a holiday or inspirational book and share it with the group. Come and help us pick the next few months' books to read.”
Second Annual WORDSOMNIA Hosted by Scuppernong Books—Friday, April 3rd, 6:00 PM-Saturday, April 4th, 6:00 PM (You Read that Right, 24 Hours)
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Scuppernong Books will host WORDSOMNIA, a 24-hour marathon reading of poetry and prose beginning on Friday, April 3rd at 6pm and ending Saturday, April 4th at 6pm. Each reader can sign-up for a ten-minute time slot in which to read original work, with five readers per hour, leaving one ten-minute break each hour. Both published and unpublished writers are welcome to sign up. There are no stipulations as to what can be read, other than that it must be original work. The entirety of the event will be live-streamed to the internet via Twitch.com, so the reading can be enjoyed by anyone in the world with access to the internet.
The store will be fully open for the length of WORDSOMNIA. That means you cn browse our books: new books, used books, half-priced books, children's books, the list goes on and on. Our kitchen will close Friday night at 10pm and re-open at 10am on Saturday morning. The bar will remain open until 2am and re-open at 7am. Snacks will be available for sale throughout. Free coffee from 2am to 7am.
WORDSOMNIA promises to be an exciting, invigorating, exhausting evening. Sleeping bags are welcome. There will be door prizes for those who stay from 6pm to dawn, and those who stay the duration. There will be a special surprise event at dawn that we can't tell you about because it's special and a surprise. Bring your friends. We also want to encourage people to drop in during the event, stay 20 minutes or so to support our readers, then drop in again later.
For more information, or to sign-up to read, call us at 336-763-1919
or e-mail us at scuppernongbooks@gmail.com”
College Open Mic with Four Featured Readers—Monday, April 6th, 6:30 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “featuring readings by:
6:30pm Valerie Nieman, author of Hotel Worthy & Mark Smith-Soto, author of Time Pieces
(open mic will begin after the first two poets read)
7:30pm Metta Sáma, author of After ‘Sleeping to Dream’/After After &
Judith Behar, author of A Green Bough
(open mic continues)
For more information, email beth.sheffield@greensboro-nc.
7 on the 7th Reading and Open Mic—Tuesday, April 7th, 7:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to Glenwood Coffee and Books for this monthly reading series that always takes place at 7:00PM on the seventh day of every month. There will be a few featured readers before the reading opens up to an open mic. This event presents a lot of opportunities for the audience to share their work, so whether you’re interested in hearing local authors or sharing your own work, this is a great opportunity.
Friends of the UNCG Libraries Dinner with Kathy Reichs—Wednesday, April 8th, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Elliott University Center, UNCG
Fee; Triad Stage for Tickets: 336-272-0160
Best-selling author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs will be the guest speaker at the Friends of the UNCG Libraries 56th Annual Dinner the night of April 8, 2015. Tickets go on sale December 10 from Triad Stage, and may be obtained by calling 336-272-0160. Invitations will go out to current Friends members around February 15, but you may wish to purchase some for holiday gifts and may do so by calling Triad Stage.
Kathy Reichs is the author of sixteen New York Times bestselling novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Like her protagonist, Reichs is a forensic anthropologist—one of only about a hundred ever certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. A professor in the department of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she is the former vice president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and serves on the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. Reichs’s own life, as much as her novels, is the basis for the long-running TV show Bones.”
Bookmarks Presents: Travis Smiley, My Journey with Maya—Thursday, April 9th, 7:00 PM
SECCA, 750 Marguerite Dr, Winston-Salem, NC
$15 General Admission; $32 for Admission and Smiley’s New Book; Smiley Ticket Link
From Bookmarks: “Bookmarks presents talk show host, political commentator, philanthropist, advocate, and New York Times bestselling author Tavis Smiley for a presentation, reading & signing of his new book My Journey with Maya, a memoir and remembrance of 25 years of friendship with Dr. Maya Angelou. General Admission tickets are available for the 7:30 p.m. program as well as Premier Admission Tickets for the 6:00 p.m. private reception. Visit bookmarksnc.org or call 336-747-1471.”
Greensboro Public Libraries Presents: Monday Night Poetry—Monday, April 20th, 7:00 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “Celebrate rhythm and rhyme with an open mic session for all area poets sponsored by the Friends of the Greensboro Public Library. Join us! For more information, visit the Triad Poetry Meet Up website. Questions? Contact Beth Sheffield at 336-373-3617.”
UNCG-Affiliated & Campus Literary Events:
Trudy Lewis and Cathy Carr Alumni Fiction Reading—Thursday, March 26th, 7:00 PM
Faculty Center, UNCG
Free and open to the public
From the UNCG Creative Writing MFA Program: “The MFA Writing Program at Greensboro, The Greensboro Review, The UNCG College of Arts & Sciences, and the UNCG Alumni Association will host a fiction reading by UNCG alums Trudy Lewis and Cathy Carr on Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 PM in the UNCG Faculty Center on College Avenue. The event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a book signing.
Trudy Lewis is the author of the recently released novel, The Empire Rolls, a short story collection, The Bones of Garbo, winner of the Sandstone Prize in Short Fiction, and the novel Private Correspondences, which won the William Goyen Prize. Lewis’s fiction has appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Best American Short Stories, Cimarron Review, Meridian, New England Review, Prairie Schooner, and other journals. She serves as the director of the creative writing program at the University of Missouri.
Cathy Carr was born in Nebraska. She received her BA from Duke University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was a Randall Jarrell Fellow. Her short fiction appears in a variety of literary journals and magazines including The Greensboro Review, Ploughshares, Iron Horse Literary Review, and Narrative Magazine. Carr lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.”
Mark Smith-Soto Book Launch Celebration: Time Pieces—Saturday, March 28th, 4:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to join this celebration of Dr. Mark Smith-Soto’s most recent collection, now out on Main Street Rag. Any proceeds from sales will go to Greensboro’s own Unicorn Press which publishes contemporary poetry chapbooks and full-length collections. There will be refreshments, poetry, and the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mark Smith-Soto who has been Editor of the International Poetry Review and a staple of both the UNCG and Greensboro literary community where he formerly was a Professor of Spanish and served as the Director of the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts. The Center for Creative Writing in the Arts would like to directly congratulate Dr. Smith-Soto on the latest of his poetic endeavors.
Community Literary Events:
Sable Books International Women’s Day Reading and Reception—Sunday, March 8th, 2:30 PM Reception, Readings from 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “‘In 2013, the Female Artist Collective hosted the first ever Female Artist Takeover in Greensboro. We are thrilled to honor and continue recognizing this special date on Sunday, March 8, 2015, by hosting this powerful reading by local female poets and writers.’
Join us in welcoming Malissa Hassard and featured guest Jaki Shelton Green, with Debra Kaufman, Verónica Grossi, Ashley “Milli” Lumpkin, Barbara Kenyon, Trudi Young Taylor, Sheryl Rider, and Birgul Tuzlali, with music by Stephanie Lindley, for an afternoon of discussion, empowering poetry and essays, and more. Find more information at SableBooks.org: http://
Reception begins at 2:30 p.m. Join our guests for wine or coffee and get a chance to meet everyone. The reading begins at 3:00 p.m. and goes to 5:00 p.m.”
Cave Wall Reading with Meg Kearney—Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
Cave Wall, published twice a year, is a national literary magazine dedicated to publishing the best in contemporary poetry. Poems first published in Cave Wall have been featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, The Writer's Almanac, and in the Best American Poetry and Best New Poets awards anthologies.
‘Cave Wall reminds me of why I started writing poetry in the first place.’ - Natasha Trethewey
‘Cave Wall is my new favorite journal. Elegantly printed, thoughtfully edited, Cave Wall gathers together wonder-filled poems with spare drawings to create the perfect read. This is how it should be done!’ - Sebastian Matthews
Meg Kearney’s most recent collection of poems for adults, Home By Now (Four Way Books 2009), was winner of the 2010 PEN New England LL Winship Award; it was also a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize andForeword Magazine’s Book of the Year. The title poem of Home By Now is included in Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems: American Places anthology (Viking Penguin 2011). Meg’s first collection of poetry, An Unkindness of Ravens, was published by BOA Editions Ltd. in 2001, and is still in print. She is author of two novels in verse for teens, both of which come with teacher’s guides: The Secret of Me (Persea Books in 2005), and its sequel, The Girl in the Mirror (Persea Books, 2012). Her story ‘Chalk’ appears in Sudden Flash Youth: 65 Short Short Stories, published by Persea Books in fall 2011.”
Book Lovers’ Social with Lynne Chandler Willis—Thursday, March 12th, 6:00 PM-8:30 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “You are invited to the sixth annual Greensboro Public Library celebration of Book Lovers' Month. Connect with your fellow book lovers, find out about local book clubs, vote for your favorite discussion books of 2014, and see displays of hot books for 2015. Join us for a seminar on the Greensboro Public Library's e-resources at 6 pm and meet writer Lynne Chandler Willis, author of private eye novel Wink of an Eye who will give a reading at 7:30 pm. The social also features door prizes, food, and music. Register to attend by e-mailing Beth Sheffield or calling 336-373-3617.”
Judith Behar Poetry Reading: A Green Bough—Thursday, March 12th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Judith Behar, a retired lawyer, writes fiction and award-winning poetry. Her poems have appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Crucible, Main Street Rag, Fire and Chocolate, Pine Song, and Voices from the Porch. Her short stories have been published by the Charlotte Writers Group and the Writers Group of the Triad. Before becoming a civil rights and family law attorney, she taught English at Guilford College. She has led poetry workshops for HopeWell Cancer Support in Baltimore and for the New Garden Friends poetry group in Greensboro. Judith sits on the board of WGOT and is the Publicity Director for the 2014-2016 term.”
Second Saturdays Poetry Reading and Open Mic: Terri Kirby Erickson and Helen Losse—Saturday, March 14th, 7:00 PM
Tate St. Coffee House, 334 Tate St., Greensboro, NC
Free and open to the public; canned food donation for open mic
From the Women Writers of the Triad: “Women Writers of the Triad and Tate Street Coffee House have partnered up to create Second Saturdays, a community-wide event, featuring poets from across the state. Meet the poets, hear their work and enjoy an evening of fine poetry and community.
*** OPEN MIC PARTICIPANTS *** Please bring a canned good to donate to Greensboro Urban Ministry along with your latest piece to try out on the crowd.
March's Featured Women Poets: Terri Kirby Erickson and Helen Losse
The evening runs from 7:00pm-9:00pm. For details on each month's featured poets, check the calendar on our website (wwot.org/calendar), or connect with us on Facebook to stay tuned in!”
North Carolina native Terri Kirby Erickson is the author of four collections of poetry, including In the Palms of Angels (Press 53, 2011) and A Lake of Light and Clouds (Press 53, 2014). Among her numerous poetry awards are a Nautilus Book Award, the Joy Harjo Poetry Prize, a Gold Medal for Poetry in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the Poetry for Their Freedom Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Asheville Poetry Review, 2013 Poet's Market, Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac, Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry, Verse Daily, The Christian Science Monitor, North Carolina Literary Review and many others. For more information about her work, please see her website at www.terrikirbyerickson.com.
Helen Losse is the author of six collections of poetry, including Facing a Lonely West. Her poems have been nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize, and three times for a Best of the Net award, one of which was a finalist. The former Poetry Editor for The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, she is now an Associate Editor for Kentucky Review.
Third Sundays at Three Poetry and Open Mic—Sunday, March 15th, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
Common Grounds (602 S Elam Ave, Greensboro, NC, USA)
Free and open to the public
From the Writers Group of the Triad: “Join us for a stimulating program at Common Grounds featuring poets Judy Behar and Jacinta V. White.
Judy Behar taught English at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and later practiced law for 30 years. She has had poems and short stories published in several magazines and anthologies including Main Street Rag, Fire and Chocolate, Voices from the Porch, and Law and Disorder.
Her chapbook, A Green Bough has just been published by Finishing Line Press. She is the facilitator of WGOT’s short fiction critique group.
Jacinta V. White is a NC Arts Council Teaching Artist and was the first to receive the Press 53 Open Award in Poetry in 2008. Finishing Line Press published her first chapbook of poetry broken ritual in 2012. Jacinta has also been published in Blackberry Magazine, Typoetic.us, The New Verse News, and Prime Number Magazine.
Jacinta founded The Word Project – a company dedicated to using poetry as a catalyst for personal and community healing. It is launching a new online literary journal – Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing. Find out more at www.jacintawhite.com and www.poetryheals.com.”
Poet Marjorie Norris Reading—Sunday, March 15th, 3:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Marjorie Norris has published poems in Wide Open, Jugglers’ World, Arizona Mandala, Poets Against Apartheid, Room of Our Own Buffalo News, Beyond Bones, Translation of Silence, Santa Rosa Review, Rain and Thunder, The Other Herald, Artvoioce, Persimmon Tree, Words over Easy, and Brigid’s Fire. Upcoming poems will be in Earth’s Daughters and A celebration of Western New York Poets. She has won Just Buffalo’s Writer in Residence award for poetry, and an honorable mention in Greensboro, NC Triad award, also teaching at Womonwrites in Atlanta, Feminist Writers in Ithaca, State University at Buffalo’s Women’s Studies Poetry Project and Just Buffalo’s Writers-In-Education. She received two New York State Council on the Arts grants to explore writing with those living with HIV, which is included in the anthology Full Circle. Marjorie Norris has taught at Chautauqua Institution Special Studies Program in Writing and did a workshop for the Roycroft Wordsmiths. Her books include Chautauqua Breathing, Two Suns, Two Moons, Resilience, and Woodland Heart, including an anthology called Trees of Surprise, about an October storm in 2007.”
Bookmarks Presents: A Teen Panel, A Night with Four Young Adult Novelists—Monday, March 16th, 7:00 PM
Salem College, Winston-Salem, See Bookmarks.org for more information
Free and open to the public
From Bookmarks: “Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures & Dangerous Creatures novels with 2014 Festival author Margaret Stohl. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller and Bram Stoker Award nominated novel Unbreakable, and the sequel Unmarked, in the Legion Series. Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The film adaptation released in theaters in 2013 from Warner Brothers.
Kami is fascinated by the paranormal, and she's very superstitious. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found watching disaster movies or Supernatural, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke. She lives in Maryland with her family, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Learn more about Kami and her books at www.kamigarcia.com and www.TheLegionSeries.com and follow her on Twitter: @kamigarcia.
Stephanie Perkins writes novels for teens (and for adults who aren't afraid to admit that teen books are awesome). She was born in South Carolina, raised in Arizona, attended universities in San Francisco and Atlanta, and now lives in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Her best friend is her husband Jarrod. Their house is almost a hundred years old, and every room is painted a different color of the rainbow. They share it with a cat named Mr. Tumnus.
Stephanie’s always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. On weekdays, you'll find her at her desk, typing away, downing cups of coffee and tea. On the weekend, you'll find her at the movies, waiting for the actors to kiss. She believes all novels and films should have more kissing. She is the author of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After.
North Carolina native Brendan Reichs attended Wake Forest University where he earned a B.A. in History. He then moved to DC and enrolled at The George Washington University School of Law in Foggy Bottom. After three long years working as a litigation attorney, he abandoned the trade to co-write the ‘Virals’ series with his mother, bestselling author Kathy Reichs. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, their two children, a playful pit bull mix named Soldier, and two ferocious cats, Fenway and Wrigley. He plans to keep on writing novels until they drag him kicking and screaming from his desk. His new book is Terminal, the fifth in the ‘Virals’ series.
Carrie Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Forest of Hands and Teeth series, which has been translated into over eighteen languages and is in development as a major motion picture. She is also the editor of the anthology Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction, as well as author of Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer, the second book in Scholastic's new multi-author/multi-platform series for middle grade readers.
Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer husband, two fat cats and one large rescue mutt in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse. You can find her online at www.carrieryan.com or @CarrieRyan.”
Greensboro Public Libraries Presents: Monday Night Poetry—Monday, March 16th, 7:00 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “Celebrate rhythm and rhyme every third Monday with an open mic session for all area poets sponsored by the Friends of the Greensboro Public Library. Join us! For more information, visit the Triad Poetry Meet Up website. Questions? Contact Beth Sheffield at 336-373-3617”
Women Speak Open Mic—Friday, March 20th, 8:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Poet.she's Women Speak started out as a monthly open mic series to highlight prominent female artists and writers in the community. Women Speak was birthed out of the vision to bring noted and accomplished writers and poets to Greensboro as a way to connect them with people that may otherwise never see them. The show features live music, an open mic, and a special featured guest every month! Make this your stop to unwind for the weekend. Open mic is always open and free!”
Melville Support Group—Tuesday, March 24th, 7:00 PM; Tuesday, March 31st: 10:30 AM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Have you always wanted to read Moby Dick but needed a little extra support? We're here to help. We'll be reading Melville's classic over three months and we'll meet to talk about it. Read to chapter 42 by March 24th (7pm), or March 31 (10:30am) and join us! 24-hour support line available to all members.”
Liza Weiland and Michael Parker Fiction Reading—Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Liza Wieland is the author of three novels, three collections of short fiction, and a volume of poems. Her work has been awarded two Pushcart Prizes, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and the Michigan Literary Fiction Award. She teaches at East Carolina University and lives near Oriental, NC, with her husband and daughter.”
“Michael Parker is the author of five novels - Hello Down There, Towns Without Rivers, Virginia Lovers, If You Want Me To Stay, The Watery Part of the World and two collections of stories, The Geographical Cure and Don't Make Me Stop Now. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in various journals including Five Points, the Georgia Review, The Idaho Review, the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, Oxford American, Shenandoah, The Black Warrior Review, Trail Runner and Runner's World. He has received fellowships in fiction from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Hobson Award for Arts and Letters, and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His work has been anthologized in the Pushcart, New Stories from the South and O. Henry Prize Stories anthologies. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, he is a Professor in the MFA Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.”
Allan Gurganus Fiction Reading: Decoy—Thursday, March 26th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Decoy, the concluding novella of Allan Gurganus’s hugely acclaimed Local Souls, was hailed as the standout of that work. Critics called it ‘humane, profound, hilarious, nostalgic, the literary equivalent of a bare-knuckled knockout punch’ (Miami Herald). Like Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day it is a haunting lyrical portrayal of a life half-led. Set in Mythical Falls, North Carolina, this mysterious and compelling tale maps the lifelong eroticized friendship between two married men. When Doc Roper, the town’s beloved physician, announces he is retiring from practice to carve exquisite duck decoys, he triggers an epidemic of catastrophes. His dependent patient and next-door neighbor, Bill Mabry, feels cut loose. Then the close-knit town is devastated by a flood of near-biblical proportions. Working inexorably ‘to an unexpected moment of catharsis’ (Dwight Garner, New York Times) Decoy—already emerging as an essential work of American literature—charts the tender border between life and death.”
Mark Smith-Soto Book Launch Celebration: Time Pieces—Saturday, March 28th, 4:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to join this celebration of Mark Smith-Soto’s most recent collection, now out on Main Street Rag. There will be refreshments, poetry, and the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mark Smith-Soto who has been Editor of the International Poetry Review and a staple of both the UNCG and Greensboro literary community where he previously served as the Director of the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts.
WGoT National Poetry Month Kick-Off with NC Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson—Sunday, March 29th, 2:00 PM
Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, 200 N. Davie Street, Greensboro, NC. 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Writers Group of the Triad: “On Sunday, March 29, 2:00-4:00 pm., The Writers Group of the Triad proudly presents 2015 North Carolina’s Poet Laureate, Shelby Stephenson. Come sip tea as he engages the audience in an entertaining afternoon of poetry, conversation, and an explanation about his process of writing.
Among a range of awards won for his twelve (12) books, Stephenson won the 2001 North Carolina Award in Literature and Bellday Poetry Prize. Stephenson’s most recent book, Play My Music Anyhow, came out in 2013 and he served as the long time editor of Pembroke magazine. Growing up near Benson in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, he has said, “My early teachers were the thirty-five foxhounds my father hunted. The trees and streams, fields, the world of my childhood…” Stephenson has recorded four albums of music with his wife Linda, and Plankhouse, a documentary film, was made about his work.
Gourmet teas by Teahugger will be provided along with light refreshments. The event will be held in the atrium of the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, 200 N. Davie Street, Greensboro, NC. 27401, and is free and open to the public.”
Amazing Place (Essays on North Carolina) Book Release with Collection Editor Marianne Ginger—Monday, March 30th, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Some of us understand place in terms of family and community, landscape, or even the weather. For others, the idea of place becomes more distinct and particular: the sound of someone humming while washing dishes, the musical cadence of a mountain accent, the smell of a tobacco field under the hot Piedmont sun. Some of North Carolina’s finest writers ruminate on the meaning of place in this collection of twenty-one original essays, untangling North Carolina's influence on their work, exploring how the idea of place resonates with North Carolinians, and illuminating why the state itself plays such a significant role in its own literature.
Authors from every region of North Carolina are represented, from the Appalachians and the Piedmont to the Outer Banks and places in between. Amazing Place showcases a mix of familiar favorites and newer voices, expressing in their own words how North Carolina shapes the literature of its people.
Contributors include Rosecrans Baldwin, Will Blythe, Belle Boggs, Fred Chappell, Jan DeBlieu, Pamela Duncan, Clyde Edgerton, Ben Fountain, Marianne Gingher, Judy Goldman, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Randall Kenan, Jill McCorkle, Michael McFee, Lydia Millet, Robert Morgan, Jenny Offill, Michael Parker, Bland Simpson, Lee Smith, Wells Tower, and Monique Truong.
Marianne Gingher is professor of English and comparative literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and editor of Long Story Short: Flash Fiction by Sixty-Five of North Carolina’s Finest Writers.
Melville Support Group—Tuesday, March 24th, 7:00 PM; Tuesday, March 31st: 10:30 AM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Have you always wanted to read Moby Dick but needed a little extra support? We're here to help. We'll be reading Melville's classic over three months and we'll meet to talk about it. Read to chapter 42 by March 24th (7pm), or March 31 (10:30am) and join us! 24-hour support line available to all members.”
Hotel Worthy, Poetry by Valerie Neiman: Book Release Party—Tuesday, March 31st, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Valerie Nieman's poems have appeared widely and been collected in two chapbooks and her debut collection, Wake Wake Wake (Press 53). She has held writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her books of prose include three novels, with the most recent, Blood Clay, being honored with the Eric Hoffer Award. She is a graduate of West Virginia University and Queens University of Charlotte. A professor of creative writing at North Carolina A&T State University, she teaches at John Campbell Folk School and other venues, and serves as poetry editor for Prime Number Magazine. You may encounter her on a train, or solo hiking, or over a cup of lemon-ginger tea at a local bookstore.”
The Southern Poetry Anthology—Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00 PM
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Conceived by Series Editor William Wright in 2003, The Southern Poetry Anthology is a projected twelve-to-sixteen volume project celebrating established and emerging poets of the American South, published by Texas Review Press. Inspired by single-volume anthologies such as Leon Stokesbury's The Made Thing, Gil Allen's A Ninety-Six Sampler, and Guy Owen and Mary C. Williams' Contemporary Southern Poetry: an Anthology, The Southern Poetry Anthology aspires to provide readers with a documentary-like survey of the best poetry being written in the American South at the present moment.
Specifically, the editors' goals are twofold: first, to re-establish poetry of the South as a major presence in American literature, and second, to include a greater range of poets from the South to introduce a new poetic geography, a fresh corpus of what we understand to be ‘Southern Poetry.’ In doing so, the editors intend to create volumes for each southern state, including ‘border’ states such as Texas, Florida, Kentucky, and Arkansas, as well as to establish volumes dedicated to entire sub-regions, including the Appalachian South (Volume III, now available) and the Gulf Coast.
All volumes published and forthcoming include poets who enjoy national reputations, as well as new poets who have already achieved interesting, textured voices.”
Eclectic Book Club—Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Friendly Center, 3102 Northline Avenue, Greensboro
Free and open to the public
From Barnes & Noble: “Join this fun-filled but focused book group that reads from a wide variety of genres. This month is our annual reader's choice month. Read a holiday or inspirational book and share it with the group. Come and help us pick the next few months' books to read.”
Second Annual WORDSOMNIA Hosted by Scuppernong Books—Friday, April 3rd, 6:00 PM-Saturday, April 4th, 6:00 PM (You Read that Right, 24 Hours)
Scuppernong Books, 304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From Scuppernong Books: “Scuppernong Books will host WORDSOMNIA, a 24-hour marathon reading of poetry and prose beginning on Friday, April 3rd at 6pm and ending Saturday, April 4th at 6pm. Each reader can sign-up for a ten-minute time slot in which to read original work, with five readers per hour, leaving one ten-minute break each hour. Both published and unpublished writers are welcome to sign up. There are no stipulations as to what can be read, other than that it must be original work. The entirety of the event will be live-streamed to the internet via Twitch.com, so the reading can be enjoyed by anyone in the world with access to the internet.
The store will be fully open for the length of WORDSOMNIA. That means you cn browse our books: new books, used books, half-priced books, children's books, the list goes on and on. Our kitchen will close Friday night at 10pm and re-open at 10am on Saturday morning. The bar will remain open until 2am and re-open at 7am. Snacks will be available for sale throughout. Free coffee from 2am to 7am.
WORDSOMNIA promises to be an exciting, invigorating, exhausting evening. Sleeping bags are welcome. There will be door prizes for those who stay from 6pm to dawn, and those who stay the duration. There will be a special surprise event at dawn that we can't tell you about because it's special and a surprise. Bring your friends. We also want to encourage people to drop in during the event, stay 20 minutes or so to support our readers, then drop in again later.
For more information, or to sign-up to read, call us at 336-763-1919
or e-mail us at scuppernongbooks@gmail.com”
College Open Mic with Four Featured Readers—Monday, April 6th, 6:30 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “featuring readings by:
6:30pm Valerie Nieman, author of Hotel Worthy & Mark Smith-Soto, author of Time Pieces
(open mic will begin after the first two poets read)
7:30pm Metta Sáma, author of After ‘Sleeping to Dream’/After After &
Judith Behar, author of A Green Bough
(open mic continues)
For more information, email beth.sheffield@greensboro-nc.
7 on the 7th Reading and Open Mic—Tuesday, April 7th, 7:00 PM
Glenwood Coffee and Books, 1310 Glenwood Avenue, Greensboro 27403
Free and open to the public
You’re invited to Glenwood Coffee and Books for this monthly reading series that always takes place at 7:00PM on the seventh day of every month. There will be a few featured readers before the reading opens up to an open mic. This event presents a lot of opportunities for the audience to share their work, so whether you’re interested in hearing local authors or sharing your own work, this is a great opportunity.
Friends of the UNCG Libraries Dinner with Kathy Reichs—Wednesday, April 8th, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Elliott University Center, UNCG
Fee; Triad Stage for Tickets: 336-272-0160
Best-selling author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs will be the guest speaker at the Friends of the UNCG Libraries 56th Annual Dinner the night of April 8, 2015. Tickets go on sale December 10 from Triad Stage, and may be obtained by calling 336-272-0160. Invitations will go out to current Friends members around February 15, but you may wish to purchase some for holiday gifts and may do so by calling Triad Stage.
Kathy Reichs is the author of sixteen New York Times bestselling novels featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Like her protagonist, Reichs is a forensic anthropologist—one of only about a hundred ever certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. A professor in the department of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she is the former vice president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and serves on the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. Reichs’s own life, as much as her novels, is the basis for the long-running TV show Bones.”
Bookmarks Presents: Travis Smiley, My Journey with Maya—Thursday, April 9th, 7:00 PM
SECCA, 750 Marguerite Dr, Winston-Salem, NC
$15 General Admission; $32 for Admission and Smiley’s New Book; Smiley Ticket Link
From Bookmarks: “Bookmarks presents talk show host, political commentator, philanthropist, advocate, and New York Times bestselling author Tavis Smiley for a presentation, reading & signing of his new book My Journey with Maya, a memoir and remembrance of 25 years of friendship with Dr. Maya Angelou. General Admission tickets are available for the 7:30 p.m. program as well as Premier Admission Tickets for the 6:00 p.m. private reception. Visit bookmarksnc.org or call 336-747-1471.”
Greensboro Public Libraries Presents: Monday Night Poetry—Monday, April 20th, 7:00 PM
Central Branch Library, 219 N. Church St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Free and open to the public
From the Greensboro Public Libraries: “Celebrate rhythm and rhyme with an open mic session for all area poets sponsored by the Friends of the Greensboro Public Library. Join us! For more information, visit the Triad Poetry Meet Up website. Questions? Contact Beth Sheffield at 336-373-3617.”
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