June 18, 2008

Young Writers Workshop to hold readings

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Young Writers Workshop, now in its 10th year of encouraging high school-age creative writers, opens its readings to the public with a mixture of SIUC faculty and graduate students and guest readers on the schedule. The readings series culminates with readings from the workshop participants.

Here is the schedule:

June 24 at 8 p.m. -- SIUC Faculty Reading featuring Pinckney Benedict, Faner Hall, Harry T. Moore Auditorium (Room 1326).

Benedict’s stories appear in several collections and a number of magazines and anthologies -- including the Pushcart Prize and O. Henry Award collections. He also won Britain’s Steinbeck Prize, Chicago Tribune’s Nelson Algren Award, a Michener Fellowship from the University of Iowa and several more besides. Now a member of the SIUC English Department, he previously taught at Princeton University, Oberlin College, Warren Wilson College and Queens University.

June 24

4-5 p.m. -- SIUC Graduate Student Creative Writers Reading, Faner Hall, Room 1005.

The reading features Jenna Bazzell, Kerry James Evans, Alex Lumans and Travis Mossotti.

8 p.m. -- SIUC Faculty Reading featuring Allison Joseph, Faner Hall, Harry T. Moore Auditorium (Room 1326).

Joseph has several collections of poetry published, and continues to wrack up poetry contest victories and awards for her work. Her honors include the John C. Zacharis First Book Prize, an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Poetry and fellowships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers Conferences. She is the editor and poetry editor of SIUC’s nationally distributed literary journal, the Crab Orchard Review. She holds the Judge Williams Holmes Cook Endowed Professorship at SIUC and is the director of the Young Writers Workshop.

June 26

4-5 p.m. -- SIUC Graduate Student Creative Writers Reading, Faner Hall, Room 1005.

The reading features Renee Evans, Josh Woods, Abby Wheetley and Andy McFadyen-Ketchum.

8 p.m. -- Guest Reader, Faner Hall, Harry T. Moore Auditorium (Room 1326).

This reading features Matt Guenette, a 1999 graduate of the SIUC Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program. His publications include a poetry collection, “A Hush of Something Endless,” a chapbook from Ropewalk Press, and “Sudden Anthem,” which won the American Poetry Journal Book Prize from Dream Horse Press in 2007. He lives, writes and teaches in Madison, Wis.

June 27

4-5 p.m. -- SIUC Graduate Student Creative Writers Reading, Faner Hall, Room 1005.

The reading features Rachel Furey, Azizat Danmole, Rachna Sheth and Amie Whittemore.

8 p.m. -- Guest Reader, Faner Hall, Harry T. Moore Auditorium (Room 1326).

This reading features Blair, a poet/singer-songwriter/performer. Blair is a 2002 National Poetry Slam Champion and 2003 Detroit Grand Slam Champion. Blair’s credits include thee HBO Def Poetry Jam and the Inside Out Literary Arts Project in Detroit. He and his band, the Detroit-based Urban Folk Collective, appeared with Stevie Wonder, Michael Moore, Wilco and others.

June 28 at 1:30 p.m. -- Young Writers Workshop Participant reading, Pulliam Hall, Cisne Auditorium.