Greensboro Reading Series January 21, 2008

Sometimes I’m a little too quick to complain about Charlotte not getting any good visiting writers, with the exception of those who come through Queens’ MFA program and the CPCC Literary Festival (and the latter is harder to go to now that I don’t have student hours, since most of their readings are at 11 a.m.)

But that doesn’t mean that the state of North Carolina is lacking in literary history or celebrity.

UNC-Greensboro has announced their 2008 Spring reading calendar, and it’s quite impressive this year. I was stoked to read that two of my favorite poets – Dean Young and Natasha Tretheway – are both reading at UNCG this spring! The readings are at 8 & 7 p.m., so perhaps I could manage leaving work a little early on those days and hauling butt to Greensboro to see them.

I’ve never roadtripped for poetry, but I think it’s about time that I did. After all, I’ve driven the 4 hours roundtrip to Greensboro to see Joanna Newsom and other musicians play live on a weeknight. So it can be done, and poetry is certainly deserving. (And those concerts cost admission – these readings, I believe, are free!)

So if anyone wants to join me, I’m going to try to make it to these readings in April. We can split the cost of gas and pick up some BBQ along the way!

more on Queens readings in January December 20, 2007

More details provided by the Observer today (click link)

Charlotte People: Mark Your Calendars December 10, 2007

WHEN: January 7, 8pm; January 9 and 12, 8:15pm

WHAT: The low-residency M.F.A. program in creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte’s next series of faculty readings. 

WHERE: Sykes Auditorium, in The John H. Sykes Learning Center, Queens University of Charlotte, 1900 Selwyn Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

WHO: Emily White, Steven Rinehart, Brighde Mullins, Peter Stitt, Cathy Smith Bowers, Naeem Murr

COST: Free! Open to the public.

Ashley Capps reading at Queens November 20, 2007

Charlotte people, mark your calendars!

The English Department of Queens University of Charlotte will host a poetry reading by Ashley Capps on Wednesday, November 28, at 8:00 p.m. in Sykes Auditorium on the Queens University of Charlotte campus. The reading is free and open to the public and will be followed by a book signing.

Capps, an alumna of Queens University of Charlotte, received Bachelor of Arts degrees in both English and French in 1998. While a student, Capps was a Mecklenburg Scholar and co-editor of Signet, the student literary magazine.

Her first book of poetry, Mistaking the Sea for Green Fields, was selected by Gerald Stern for the Akron Poetry Prize and published in 2006 by The University of Akron Press. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she has poems appearing or forthcoming in American Poetry Review, Post Road, Margie, Columbia Poetry Review, and the 100^th anniversary edition of Granta. She has held fellowships from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and the Iowa Arts Council, and has taught at Ohio University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Iowa, and the North Carolina Governor’s School.

Of her book, Cathy Smith Bowers, her former professor at Queens, writes: “Again and again these stunning poems give testament to Thomas Moore’s famous dictum that the beast at the center of the labyrinth is also an angel. This book breaks my heart, even as it mends it.”

Capps currently lives in Exeter, New Hampshire. She was born and raised in Charlotte, where her parents still reside.

The event is sponsored by this year’s recipient of the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award, Dr. Emily Seelbinder. This award is given each year at Queens University of Charlotte.

Progress September 21, 2007

I haven’t been here because I haven’t had TIME to be here. Already spent 3 nights this week doing freelance work thanks to an editor’s last-minute deadline…grrr….

However, in between it all, I’ve been working more on the new, fabulous young, hip and wonderful (that’s all of the above) poetry group we’re trying to start up. I have another “meeting” with Lindsey tonight – in quotes because our last meeting involved sangria, fajitas and ghost stories. We’re productive, though!

We’ve secured Century as our hosting venue, and will meet with the owner on Monday to talk details. Probably looking at one Monday night a month, 7-9. This venue is perfect because of location, atmosphere, privacy, plus versatility. And we can totally do a soul train through there.

Tonight, we’re attending an Iodine reading featuring some fellow Queens folk (Charles Israel & Craig Renfroe)  and will probably pick a few brains about their hosting experience. I’m also planning on asking J. Rice to be my second letter-writer for grad schools (cross-fingers.)

Afterward, it’s more dinner & drinks but this time we’re bringing notepads to jot down all our fantastic ideas, which I’m not quite ready to reveal. However, I will say expect a heavy online campaign as I will be spearheading a MySpace page, e-newsletter listings and a variety of bulletins. Tonight our focus is to get our language congruent and also to discuss our progress in snatching start-up recruits. The word is already getting out, which is a good thing.