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Literary Buffalo Gets Literarier

Since I met with a group of literary curators a little over a year ago to create Literary Buffalo, the number of literary events happening in this town seems to have multiplied. Or maybe I am simply more aware because all of them get sent to me for inclusion in the calendar. Whatever the case, this fall’s schedule of literary happenings is long on quality and quantity. What follows is a snapshot of what’s happening in Literary Buffalo between Curtain Up! and Christmas Break.

JUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER

Just Buffalo is running six reading series this fall.

The Nickel City Poetry Slam, hosted by Gabrielle Bouliane, fresh from coaching the first ever Buffalo team at the National Slam in Austin, Texas, returns for a new season on the first Friday of each month at Gusto at the Gallery in Clifton Hall at the Albright-Knox. There are ten slots available for each event and winners will compete in May to create next year’s team. National-level slam artists from around the country will also be featured at each event.

Also continuing is Communiqué, the flash fiction series hosted by Forrest Roth at Rust Belt Books. Gary Lutz, author of the collection Stories in the Worst Way, reads on October 5 with UB Professor Christina Milletti, whose first collection The Religious and Other Fictions was just published. Peter Conners of Rochester comes to town on November 2.

Buffalo native son Kevin Thurston, fresh from a couple of years in Baltimore, hosts the Small Press Poetry series at Rust Belt Books, featuring the best from the SPP world. On September 21, Buffalo press BlazeVox [books] brings New York poet Amy King to read with BlazeVox publisher Geoffrey Gatza. Two days later the Wave Books Poetry Bus Tour makes a stop at Gusto at the Gallery for a reading by national and local poets (including yours truly). On October 26, Canadian poets Gustave Morin and Daniel F. Bradley read, and the fall series concludes on November 16 with a.rawlings and Mark Truscott of Toronto, and James Hart of Motown.

As usual, local literary lights take the stage three times per month in the Open Reading series, hosted by Livio Farallo. In addition to 3rd Sundays at Rust Belt Books and 2nd Wednesdays at the Carnegie Arts center in Tonawanda, the open reading series boasts a new 3rd Thursdays locale, The Lockport Brewhaus in, you guessed it, Lockport. All readings begin at 7pm and include 10 slots for anyone who wants to read in addition to open readers.

Arthur Taylor

Interdisciplinary Events presented by Buffalo Chanteuse Joyce Carolyn include: the Literary Family Fair, featuring story teller Djed Snead on Saturday, February 23 at noon at the Market Arcade; Dues Don’t Stop the Blues, a screening of Arthur Taylor’s video at Hallwalls on October 14, with Taylor in person to introduce the film and read his poetry; November 11 guitarist Dale Tolliver will accompany a staged reading of original dramatic work by local writers at the Langston Hughes Institute; Buffalo-born artists return or turn up to pay homage to their native town in Home For the Holidays on Friday, December 8 at the Market Arcade.

Teens will have their say at two Spotlight on Youth open mics, on September 20 and November 15 at Planned Parenthood on Main St.

This Saturday, October 16, in conjunction with the visit of the Dalai Lama, Just Buffalo and Buffalo Arts Studio present: Crazy Wisdom: Buddhism and the Beats at the Buffalo Arts Studio.

THE WRITE THING

AT MEDAILLE COLLEGE

Medaille College’s fantastic series of fiction and poetry readings continues with four fall readings. African-American poet Reginald Shepard reads on Thursday, September 14. Po-mo fictioneer Lance Olsen returns for a reading on September 28. Poet provacateur Kent Johnson, editor (and reputed author) of the award winning collection of poems by Hiroshima Survivor Araki Yasusada comes to town October 19 on the heels of two BlazeVox publications, 118 Living American Poets and the much-discussed Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz. Asian-American poet Timothy Liu closes out the season with a reading on November 30.

POETICS PLUS AT UB

Charles Bernstein

The UB Poetics Program presents its most ambitious event in recent memory on October 12-14. Words: On the Life and Work of Robert Creeley brings to town some of the most important poets and scholars in America for a series of readings and panel discussions on the late poet. Thursday October 12 at 8pm at Trinity Church poets Rosmarie Waldrop and Robin Blaser read. Friday October 13 the papers will be read during the day with readings at night. At 10am in the Poetry Collection, 420 Capen Hall, UB Poetics Alum Benjamin Friedlander presents “What is Experience?” and at 11am scholar Alan Golding presents “Seriality in Creeley’s Poetry” At 1:30pm Michael Gizzi presents “Robert Creeley: Music on Words” and at 2:30pm, Peter Middleton presents: “Creeley Teaching” and at 3:30pm Rachel Blau du Plessis presents “Death and Sexual Difference in Later Creeley.” At 8 pm at Trinity Church, Susan Howe and John Ashbery read. On Saturday October 14 at 10am at Trinity Church Chapel, Stephen Fredman presents “Talk as Action: Robert Creeley, Bob Dylan and the Art of the Interview” and at 11am Michael Davidson presents: “‘the repeated/insistence’: Creeley’s Rage.” At 1:30pm, Charles Altieri presents “Why does Echoes Echo?” and at 2:30pm Peter Quartermain presents: “Momently.” The papers conclude at 3:30pm with Marjorie Perloff: “Creeley as Radical Poet.” The final reading, at 8pm at Trinity, will feature former Poetics Program Director Charles Bernstein and Ann Lauterbach.

Other readings from the Poetics folks include: poets Aaron Shurin and Susan Gervitz on November 3 at Big Orbit Gallery, and poet Laura Mullen on November 10 at Rust Belt Books.

Mick Cochrane

CANISIUS COLLEGE

Despite the Contemporary Writer’s Series taking a break until winter, Canisius still has some fine literary events lined up for the fall. Canisius faculty writers Mick Cochrane, Sandra Cookson, Janet McNally and Barbara Porter read Thursday, October 12. Native American novelist, artist and poet (and Canisius Professor) Eric Gansworth reads from his new chapbook on Thursday, November 9, and Buffalo’s Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Dennis reads Tuesday, November 14.

TALKING LEAVES

Buffalo’s best independent bookstore hosts readings and book signings throughout the year. Some upcoming include: Elizabeth Cunningham, author of The Passion of Mary Magdalene: A Novel on Wed, Oct 4; Mary Saracino, author of The Singing of Swans on Thurs, Oct 5; three Rochester poets from RIT—John Roche, Anne Coon and Vincent Golphin (all w/books from Foothills Publishing) read on Wed, Oct 18; Buffalo novelist Ted Pelton, author of Malcolm & Jack, Wed, Oct 25; Susan Ciminelli, author of Ciminelli Solution signs books on Sun, Oct 8 at 2 pm.

BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE

Buffalo State college hosts a number of literary events. One exciting new series is the Rooftop Poetry Club, run by Buffalo state librarian Lisa Forest. September events include David Lampe and Matt Chambers on September 21; A Workshop on handmade journals by Kimberly Davis on September 28. Check out the Web site for listings and also for podcasts of past readings.

The Burchfield-Penney Poets and Writers Series continues with a reading by poet Susan Howe, who will retire to Connecticut this fall after many years in the Poetics Program at UB, this Sunday at 2. Charles Bachman reads on October 22 and Havana-born Buffalonian Olga Karman reads from her memoir Scatter My Ashes Over Havana on October 29.

HALLWALLS

Hallwalls and the Earth’s Daughters Collective present a new series of readings by local writers of a certain, umm, maturity. The Gray Hair Reading Series begins with Manny Fried and Gary Earl Ross on Septmber 13 and continues next month with Sally Fiedler and Ann Goldsmith on October 11.

To keep abreast of all things literary in Buffalo, visit: www.literarybuffalo.org or www.justbuffalo.org.