Fiction writer to give reading at Greenly Center

Crystal Wilkinson, short fiction writer and a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets, will read from her work Thursday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Greenly Center, 50 E. Main Street. The reading is free and open to the public.

 Wilkinson helped found the Affrilachian Poets Society in 1991. The society embraces a multicultural influence, a spectrum of people who consider Appalachia to be their home or identify strongly with the trials and triumphs of being of the Appalachian region.

Wilkinson has published a number of works and has received several awards for her writing. Her story, “Blackberries, Blackberries,” won the 2002 Chaffin Award for Appalachian Literature and “Water Street” was a finalist for the United Kingdom’s Orange Prize for fiction and Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.

In addition, Wilkinson won the Danny Plattner Award for Poetry from Appalachian Heritage Magazine and the Sallie Bingham Award from the Kentucky Foundation for Women for the promotion of activism and artistic expression.

 Wilkinson’s visit marks the first event to be held in the new Greenly Center in downtown Bloomsburg. Other cultural events, including art exhibits and gallery receptions, are expected to follow. The reading is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of English. For more information, contact Jerry Wemple, professor of English, at jwemple@bloomu.edu.

Author Nick Flynn to give reading Wednesday

Award-winning author Nick Flynn, will give a reading Wednesday, March 5, at 7 pm in Bloomsburg University's McCormick Center, room 2303. His visit is part of the Big Dog Reading Series.

Flynn is the author of the memoir “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City.” On Wednesday, he will also talk about the craft of writing at 4 p.m. in Kehr Union, Multipurpose Room A. The events are free and open to public.

Raised by his mother in suburban Boston, Flynn was estranged from his father, Jonathan, an alcoholic who worked odd jobs and spent several years in prison for passing forged checks. At 27, Flynn was unexpectedly reunited with his then-homeless father, who showed up as a “guest” at a shelter in Boston. Flynn examined his relationship with his father and the suicide of his mother in “Another Bullshit Night in Suck City,” which won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir and has been translated into 15 languages. Flynn also wrote two other memoirs, “The Reenactments” and “The Ticking is the Bomb: A Memoir of Bewilderment,” and three books of poetry, “The Captain Asks for a Show of Hands” “Some Ether,” which won the PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award, and “Blind Huber.” His fourth book of poetry, “My Feelings,” is forthcoming.

The Big Dog Reading Series, sponsored by the BU English department’s creative writing program, brings poets and writers of regional and national interest to the community. Call 570-389-4427 for more information on the series. To learn more about author Nick Flynn, see blueflowerarts.com.

Claire Watkins to give reading at Moose Monday

Short story writer and essayist Claire Vaye Watkins will give a reading Monday, Oct. 21, at 7 pm at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main Street, Bloomsburg.

Watkins is the author of Battleborn, which was named a best book of 2012 by the San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, and NPR.org. Battleborn (Riverhead Books) also won the Story Prize, the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Silver Pen Award from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.

In 2012, Claire was selected as one of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35.” Currently a visiting assistant professor at Princeton University, Claire is also the co-director, with Derek Palacio, of the Mojave School, a free creative writing workshop for teenagers in rural Nevada.

The reading is sponsored by the Bloomsburg University Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Big Dog Reading Series.

Of books ... and authors

Books ... (and videos and CDs)

The Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association (FOBULA) will hold their 13th Annual Book Sale from Saturday, April 6, to Monday, April 8, in the Andruss Library Schweiker Room. The book sale is their largest fundraiser, bringing in $25,000 in the first twelve years, which has gone toward a number of special projects, two of which are the digitization and preservation of local and university historic materials and providing textbook scholarships to deserving students. The sale also includes CDs, DVDs, video tapes, cassettes and even records.

and authors

Michael Shepard will be the featured speaker for the Annual Author's Dinner of the Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association. The dinner will be Friday, April 19, from 6 to 8 pm, in the Monty's meeting room. There will be an open wine bar with live music Tickets are $25 for the evening (reservations required) Contact: rabbott@ptd.net or call 784-0428.

Shepard, a planetary scientist at BU, will be honored as this year's recipient of the Maroon and Gold Quill Award. Shepard wrote "The Curious Professor" column in the Press Enterprise for three years before retiring the column after 100 installments. Shepard has published papers on Venus, Mars, and the Moon. Using a sample of the actual lunar soil, he analyzed its light reflection properties in his lab here at the University. Most recently he has been studying asteroids using the great Arecibo Radar telescope in Puerto Rico. Shepard has over 150 publications and has been cited in over 800 publications. 

A view of Africa

BU students are showing photographs taken during their study abroad experience in Ethiopia and Cameroon this January at the Haas Gallery of Art. There will be a reception and readings by the students Wednesday, March 13, from 11 am to 1 pm.

This exhibit presents a selection of photographs made for the course, "Photography in the Field: Working in a non-Western Culture," introduced students to challenges of making photographs of unfamiliar people and places with both respect and sensitivity. The exhibition will be on view through March 31. For any questions, please contact Ekema Agbaw at sagbaw@bloomu.edu or Vera Viditz-Ward at vviditz@bloomu.edu.

Some quick vitamin A and C

Some nuggets of A and C (arts and culture), and maybe a little bit of science and shopping too, for the coming week.

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Frack perspective: “Natural Gas Extraction in Marcellus Shale: Evaluating the Impacts,” a series of lectures, films and a panel discussion, will be held at Bloomsburg University from March 20 to 29. The series will explore the social, economic and environmental impacts of drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale and is sponsored by BU’s Green Campus Initiative, Institute for Culture and Society, Institute for Human Rights and Social Justice, College of Science and Technology and the College of Liberal Arts. All programs are open to the public free of charge. The detailed schedule is here: http://organizations.bloomu.edu/gci/shale.php. 

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Auction benefits LGBTA:  “It’s Time,” a reception and silent auction sponsored by Bloomsburg University’s LGBTA, will be held Tuesday, March 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Barn at Boone’s Dam, Bloomsburg. Funds raised during the event will support educational experiences for students, faculty, staff and the local community, including outreach programs and campus speakers. The $25 per person admission fee covers the cost of hors d’oeuvres and beverages. For information, see www.bloomu.edu/lgbt.

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Spaghetti at the Moose: The annual Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. will be held at the Moose Exchange on Wednesday, March 21. Dinners will be served in the Grille Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with take outs available starting at 4:30. In addition to spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and drinks, there will be a make-your-own-sundae bar with ice cream from Brennan's Big Chill and a draw-your-own-sundae challenge for children. Tickets in advance (available at the Exchange and other downtown business locations) are $6, or $7 at the door.

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The Big Dance: Bloomsburg University's Dance Ensemble will hold its spring show Thursday and Friday, March 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. at Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. This show nearly packs Mitrani Hall, two nights in a row. A lot of fun.

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Friday Jazz at the Moose: The third Jazz Night concert with Burgess, Mitchell, and Seal comes to the Moose Exchange on Friday, March 23. The $10 cover charge benefits the Greenwood Friends School’s Greening Greenwood campaign, through which the school will develop eco-friendly programming and become more energy efficient. Light refreshments are available, BYOB.

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Bookworm alert: The Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association will hold the 12th annual book sale Saturday to Monday, March 24 to March 26, in the Andruss Library Schweiker Room. Items include books, CDs, DVDs, video tapes, cassettes and records. The pre-sale for members only is Saturday, March 24, from noon to 1 p.m.; the regular sale runs Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Reminder: Murder at the Howard Johnson's at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble runs only through March 25. 

V-Day at the Exchange Feb. 29 to March 3

Bloomsburg's Center for the Visual and Performing Arts is bringing V-Day to the Moose Exchange. V-Day is a global effort to stop the violence against women and girls.

This event features the performance of The Vagina Monologues, a play made up of a series of monologues about female empowerment and individuality. Performances will be held in the Grille Room at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, Feb. 29, to Saturday March 3. On Thursday, March 1, there will be a showing of Until The Violence Stops, and readings featuring the Men of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer.

The event is open to the public, however please note that the mature content is not suitable for children. Tickets are available at the door; $5 for B.U. students with ID and $10 for the general public. All proceeds benefit the Women’s Center, Beyond Violence, and Women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Miscellanea


Painter Chet Davis is exhibiting at Artspace Gallery, 221 Center Street, from March 1 through April 8.

The River Poets are holding a reading Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Public Library, 225 Market Street. The featured reader is Richard Kahn and the theme is "Poetry is what you get from crossing lions with lambs." Sue Brook will be the master of ceremonies and there will be an open reading.

The Moose Exchange Stairwell Gallery will host an exhibition through March 8 of archived photographs that share the rich history of the old Moose Lodge. Built in 1949 on West Main Street, the Moose Lodge was a treasured gathering spot for members, their families, and the wider community for many years. This exhibition is part of a “Collective Memory” project that invites community members to share their pictures and stories from the Moose.

Adderall Diaries author coming in March

This is  pretty big deal.

Stephen Elliott, author of the The Adderall Diaries, and director of the upcoming film Cherry will speak at Bloomsburg University on Wednesday, March 28. He will give a talk on "Writing for New Media" at 4 p.m., in Kehr Union, Multipurpose A, and read from The Adderall Diaries at 7 p.m. in McCormick 1303.

Elliott is the author of seven books including The Adderall Diaries which has been described as “genius” by both the San Francisco Chronicle and Vanity Fair and was the best book of the year in Time Out New York, a best of 2009 in Kirkus Reviews, and one of 50 notable books in the San Francisco Chronicle.

He is also the director the film Cherry, starring James Franco, Heather Graham, Dev Patel, and Lili Taylor, to be released this spring.

Elliott's visit is part of the Bloomsburg's Big Dog Reading Series.

Literature at the Moose

Bloomsburg University English instructors Randy Koch and Beth Couture will give a literary reading showcase Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St., Bloomsburg. The event is part of BU’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

Koch has taught at Bloomsburg since 2009. His literary work has appeared in publications such as The Caribbean Writer, Passages North, The Texas Observer, The Raven Chronicles, Revista Interamericana and The Comstock Review. He also writes “Serving Sentences,” a monthly column for LareDOS: A Journal of the Borderlands. His full collections include Composing Ourselves and This Splintered Horse, the poetry chapbook he will read from during the Feb. 21 event.

Couture, who earned her degree from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Center for Writers in 2010, has taught composition at BU for two years. Her work has been featured in journals and anthologies, including Gargoyle, “Drunken Boat,” The Yalobusha Review and “Thirty under Thirty.” Couture will read from her new novel, The Disappearing Children.