October LIT PICKS
Fall is upon us and that means all of your favorite reading and slam series are back in full swing! Here’s what we’ll be checking out this month.
FRI. OCTOBER 5 THE PIGEON PRESENTS: THE PHILADELPHIA POETRY SLAM
Have some fresh, audacious poetry? Want to get a taste? Check out The Pigeon Presents: The Philadelphia Poetry Slam. Poets perform original work judged by members of the audience. Top finishers in the grand slam will represent The Pigeon and Philadelphia at the National Poetry Slam. Come perform, watch, or judge! There is a 7:30pm poetry workshop for all ticketholders with performance poet and former punk rocker Jeanann Verlee. Slam sign-up is at 8:30pm and the show starts at 9:00pm. Tickets are $10 (or 2 tickets for $10 with student ID’s) PhilaMOCA @ 531 N. 12th St (just north of Spring Garden). For more information, see the Facebook event page.
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MON. OCTOBER 8 FIRST PERSON ARTS STORYSLAM: US AND THEM
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Winner of “Best in Philly,” First Person Arts StorySlam is a monthly storytelling competition. Each month’s theme elicits the life experiences of Philly’s storytellers, practiced and amateur. October’s theme is “Us and Them.” Doors open at 7:30pm and the Slam starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are available at the door for $10 ($8 for First Person Arts members). World Cafe Live @ 3025 Walnut Street. If you want to guarantee a table, call (215) 222-1400 after 10:00am to make a reservation at World Cafe Live! Check out videos and storytelling tips on the First Person Arts website.
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TUES. OCTOBER 9 MILANO’S POETRY SERIES
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This month’s reading includes Jonathan Lohr and Kiely Sweatt. Jonathan is a Philadelphia poet and the creator and editor of Scharmel Iris Vanity press. Kiely’s poetry has been described as “neon, witty, and chiseled.” Come early! Host CA Conrad always begins on time, and you’ll want a minute to grab a Coke and a slice. Conversation starts at 6:00pm and the reading starts at 7:00pm. Milano’s Pizzeria @ 127 S. 10th St. (just south of Sansom). For more information, see the Milano’s Poetry Series website.
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FRI. OCTOBER 12 DESIGN PHILADELPHIA: QUIRK BOOKS ALTERNATIVE BOOK COVER GALLERY
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Quirk’s talented team of book designers will showcase a gallery of alternative book covers, showing actual designs that didn’t make the cut and totally new works inspired by older titles. Quirk is an indie publisher located in Old City, and is home to New York Times bestselling titles like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. 239 Chestnut St. 2nd Floor. Unit B., 5-9 p.m. RSVP.
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SAT. OCTOBER 13 PUBLISH YOUR WORK! A WORKSHOP WITH ERIKA DREIFUS
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Chances are, you’ve spent much of your writing time doing the first, important part: writing! Now you have stories, essays, or poems crafted and critiqued, refined and revised. You think you’re ready to submit them for publication. But where? How? This workshop will discuss how find homes for your work in literary magazines. You’ll discover where to find these publications, how to study them, and how to prepare your manuscripts so that they make an excellent first impression on the editors who may publish your work. Co-sponsored by Apiary Magazine. To register, email events@bigbluemarblebooks.com or call (215) 844-1870. The fee for the workshop is $35. The workshop will be held from 2:00pm to 3:15pm. There will be a free reading by Erika at 3:30pm. Erika is the author of Quiet Americans: Stories and a contributing editor for The Writer magazine and Fiction Writers Review. Big Blue Marble Bookstore @ 551 Carpenter Lane. For more information or other events at Big Blue Marble, see their website.—–
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WED. OCTOBER 17 LITERARY DEATH MATCH
Bragging rights: APIARY took home the 2011 Deathmatch Crown! But LDM is back in town, and now four fearless contenders will battle for the title: comedian and writer Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read: Harnessing the Power of a Literature-Free Life), award-winning flash fictionist Randall Brown (see his book Mad to Live and Matter Press and its Journal of Compressed Creative Arts) Gigantic Sequins editor-in-chief Kimberly Southwick, and General Idea co-curator Kim Gek Lin Short (author of The Bugging Watch & Other Exhibits and China Cowboy). 3 celebrity judges. And, ultimately, the Literary Death Match finale, which trades in the show’s literary sensibility for an absurd and comical climax to determine the champ. Doors at 7:30, show at 8:30. World Cafe Live, 30th and Walnut. Tickets and more info here.
THURS. OCTOBER 18 DOUBLE HEADER!
TIREFIRE PRESENTS: KIMBALL / BOYLE / FLETCHER
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TireFire is back for October, so stop carving that pumpkin and come get lit! Readers include Michael Kimball, Megan Boyle, and Sasha Fletcher. Michael is the author of four novels, including Dear Everybody, Us, and Big Ray. Megan writes a weekly column called “Boyle’s Brains” for Vice magazine’s website. Sasha is the author of the novella When All Our Days Are Numbered Marching Bands Will Fill the Streets and We Will Not Hear Them Because We Will Be Upstairs in the Clouds. Doors open at 7pm and reading begins at 8pm. Tattooed Mom @ 530 South St. For more info, look to the Facebook event page.
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PALABRAS ON PASSYUNK
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Check out the newest poetry and prose (anything goes!) reading series in Philadelphia. In their inaugural event, Palabras on Passyunk will feature Michael Loughran and Jana Llewellyn. Michael is a Philadelphia poet and poetry consultant for Subtropics. Jane is a prose writer and editor at Friends Journal, a monthly magazine about Quakerism and spirituality in Philadelphia. There will be vegan tapas and an open mic session afterward. The reading begins at 7:30pm. Miss Rachel’s Pantry @ 1732-34 W. Passyunk Ave. For more information, see the Facebook event page.
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FRI. OCTOBER 19 DOUBLE HEADER!
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FAMILY STYLE OPEN MIC NIGHT
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Hosted by Michelle Myers and Catzie Vilayphonh of spoken word duo Yellow Rage, Family Style is Asian Arts Iniative’s dynamic and eclectic open mic series, in which participants are invited to share stories, song, dance and poetry from all cultures. This month’s feature performer is Bao Phi, a two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and National Poetry slam finalist who has appeared on HBO Presents Russell simmons Def Poetry. Pre-show reception begins at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. Asian Arts Initiative @ 1219 Vine St. For more information, see the Facebook event page.
LASER LIFE
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A queer empowered, multi-culti sci fi reading series dedicated to giving voice to the swirl of diversity that exists in the known and unknown universe, LASER LIFE serves as a gateway to the dreaming. At its core, it’s a reading of science and speculative fiction and fantasy, with the intensity of a sweaty, West Philly poetry slam on mind-altering, homemade drugs. This month: M. Craig, Althea Baird, Ras Mashramani, Alex Smith, Shane Jenkins, and Maggie 18. 7:00 p.m. A-Space Anarchist Community Center, 4722 Baltimore Avenue. Check out the Facebook event page to RSVP.
THURS. OCTOBER 25 SLAM, BAM, THANK YOU MA’AM
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Celebrate literary wit and the written word at Painted Bride Quarerly‘s StorySlam! Guests enjoy an interactive writing experience–they’ll bring the pens and paper, you bring your sharp minds and creativity. There are new prizes and a new host, musician and Painted Bride Quarterly senior editor Andrew Keller. The event begins at 7:30pm. The Pen and Pencil Club @ 1522 Latimer St. Email pbq@drexel.edu with any questions.
SUN. NOVEMBER 4 EMILY DICKINSON POETRY EVENT
“Wild Nights–Wild Nights!” If you’re a Dickinson fan like the rest of us, then be sure to join the Urchin Series for this special reading. Guests can bring in their favorite Dickinson poem to read for the group. The event begins at 2pm and takes place at the garden next to the Mutter Museum @ 22nd St. between Market St. and Chestnut St. Check otu theUrchin Series website for more details.
Above mural by David Guinn.
