poetry reading: Literati Bookstore

On Monday, March 17, Joy Gaines-Friedler and I will be reading from our respective new books, Dutiful Heart and Square Feet.

We’re reading at Ann Arbor’s latest literary gem, Literati Bookstore. Here’s what you need to know:

03/17/2014

Free. 7pm.

Literati Bookstore

124 E. Washington St.

Ann Arbor MI 48104

Event link

Joy Gaines-Friedler’s work is widely published in literary journals and anthologies including The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Jewish Poetry, and Poetry in Michigan in Poetry anthology recently released by New Issues Press. Joy teaches poetry and creative writing for non-profits in the Detroit area, including workshops with “at risk” young adults and families of victims of homicide at Common Ground and Community Network Services. She is a writer-in-residence with InsideOut Literary Arts Program and teaches Advanced Poetry and Creative Writing for Springfed Arts. 

Lori A May’s work has been in publications such as The Atlantic, Writer’s Digest, Brevity, Midwestern Gothic, and The Writer. She is the founding editor of Poets’ Quarterly and a faculty mentor in the University of King’s College-Halifax MFA program. She is the author of five books, including The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students, and the recent collection Square Feet.

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Novel Debut from Lauren Catron

Michigan author Lauren Catron has been busy since graduating with her MA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. With the launch of her debut novel this summer, Catron has been putting her effort into finessing her website—and writing a sequel. Changeling Eyes is the first book in the series.

“In a way, The Aesir Chronicles are an alternate history of earth,” Catron says, “one that explains why we have legends of unicorns, fairies, Elves, trolls, dragons and many more. It is also a place if you will, where science, magic, and religion are all part of a whole rather than each excluding the other, as we always seem to think they must.”

The first book introduces Lrill and her struggle with her powerful heritage, and the revelation that there is a core of truth at the center of every legend. “I plan for the series to span from the creation of the world to its destruction and rebirth,” says Catron. “And since I’ve chosen to make this an alternate history of earth, I have every myth from every culture to play with—sort of like what Jim Butcher does in the Dresden Files. So you can anticipate cultural crossovers.”

Changeling Eyes is hot off the presses with Booktrope Publishing. Catron says she admires their publishing model that relies on a solid team to work toward the success of the book. The author, editor, proofreader, cover designer, and book manager all work together to ensure the best for the book. “This also gives the author a great deal of input into their cover design,” Catron says “The author can also commission work from a designer who does not work for Booktrope, and Booktrope will usually find a way to accommodate this choice.”

Catron is already at work on a sequel. “I also have a few Graphic Novel ideas," she says, "though those are a couple years out in my plans. Most of my writing centers around The Aesir Chronicles and I find that whenever I dream up as a standalone novel idea, I can find an excuse to tie it back into the main series. Having the entire world’s pool of myth and legend to work out of it makes it easy to tie things together. I have some vampires and a little steampunk, and maybe ninjas.”

Readers will find more news and updates about the series on Lauren Catron’s website, http://www.lacatron.com. Order Changeling Eyes from Amazon.com.

National Dzanc Workshop Day in MI

The second annual National Dzanc Workshop Day, a charity event benefiting writing programs for school children, is planned for Saturday, April 9. 

Creative writers in all genres are invited to participate in the workshop, titled “More Creative Plots, Deeper Characters.” The session will include writing exercises and discussions about craft. Joe Ponepinto and Gwendolyn Jerris will lead the workshop at the Royal Oak Public Library (222 East 11 Mile Rd) from 10 a.m. to noon. 

Admission is $30 per attendee, and all proceeds go to Dzanc’s Writers in Residence program, which places professional authors with individual schools or classrooms. The writers return each week to build relationships with students and develop their potential as writers and poets. 

Dzanc Books, a nationally known book publisher and writer advocate, is based in Ann Arbor. They are coordinating dozens of similar workshops around the country, all taking place on April 9. 

When & Where
Royal Oak Public Library 
222 East 11 Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI 48067
April 9, 2011 - 10am-12pm
Admission $30
Registration 

Workshop Description
This workshop examines the traditional sections of a short story (beginning, middle, end) and shows how an understanding of each of these aspects of structure can result in more creative plots and deeper characters. Through a series of discussions and prompts, we’ll lead attendees through techniques that can expand the possibilities of their writing.

Since this is a morning workshop, we’ll have free coffee and pastries too. 

Workshop Leaders
Joe Ponepinto is an editor with the Los Angeles Review and holds an MFA in Fiction. His short stories and criticism have been published or accepted for a variety of journals, most recently Vestal Review, Apalachee Review, Stymie, Tottenville Review, and, of course, LAR. 

Gwendolyn Jerris is the founder and leader of the fiction writing group Writers by the Woods, which meets in Beverly Hills, MI. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Antioch College and a Secondary (6-12) English and History Teaching Certificate from Wayne State University. She's in her 3rd term at Goddard College, earning an MFA in fiction. 

The Writer-in-Residence Program
Since 2006, the Dzanc Writer-in-Residence Program has been committed to increasing literacy in public school students in Michigan and beyond. During each school year, Dzanc places a professional author with an individual school or classroom, who returns each week to build a relationship with students and develop their potential as writers and poets.

More Info
Visit http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzanc-day/2010/10/19/michigan.html.

Contact Joe Ponepinto, jpon@thirdreader.com if you have questions about the Royal Oak workshop.