2008 May Reading Series
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 7:30pm
Merna Ann Hecht,
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 7:30pm
Janna Cawrse, Waverly Fitzgerald, Brian McGuigan,
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 7:30pm
Jack Straw Productions
4261 Roosevelt Way NE,
Poet and program curator
2008 Writers
Wendy Call
Janna Cawrse
Kevin Craft
Sharon Cumberland
Waverly Fitzgerald
Merna Ann Hecht
Rebecca Hoogs
Brian McGuigan
Jennifer D. Munro
Ghida Sinno
Judith Skillman
Michael Spence
2007 Writers
2006 Writers
2005 Writers
2004 Writers
List of writers to date
Poet Judith Roche curates
2008 Jack Straw Writers Program
Jack Straw Productions has selected award-winning poet Judith Roche as the curator of the 2008 Jack Straw Writers Program. As curator, Roche will select the 12 participants in the upcoming cycle of the annual Writers Program, who will be announced in February 2008, and she will participate in a variety of public events, development trainings, and activities with the writers at Jack Straw's recording studio.
"There are too few ways to honor literary artists," says Roche. "The Jack Straw Writers Program addresses that by providing promotional opportunities for some of our area's finest writers, and the Program's emphasis on oral presentation helps return poetry and story to its origins in the oral tradition."
"I have enormous respect for Judith as a poet, teacher, and literary advocate," said Joan Rabinowitz, executive director of Jack Straw Productions and co-founder of the Jack Straw Writers Program. "We are honored to have her as this year's curator. Our writers and our program will benefit dramatically from Judith's creativity and leadership."
Judith Roche, an alumnus of the 2001 Jack Straw Writers Program, is the author of three collections of poetry, the most recent of which, Wisdom of the Body, won an American Book Award. She has edited a number of poetry anthologies and has worked in collaboration with visual artists on several public art projects which are installed in the Northwest area. She is Literary Arts Director Emeritus for One Reel, the arts producing company that presents Bumbershoot and Teatro Zinzanni, and teaches poetry workshops. She was Distinguished Northwest Writer in Residence at Seattle University in 2007 and is a Fellow in the Black Earth Institute.
About the Jack Straw Writers Program
The purpose of the Jack Straw Writers Program is to introduce local writers to the medium of recorded audio; to encourage the creation of new literary work; and to provide new venues for the writer and their work. The program was created in 1997, and each year a single curator selects 12 writers/writing teams out of dozens of applicants based on artistic excellence, diversity of literary genres, and a cohesive grouping of writers.
Twelve writers/writing teams are selected by a curator each to participate. The program features voice and presentation training, in-studio interviews, public readings, a published anthology, and internet podcasts. All live readings are recorded, and selected portions are produced for podcasts and radio broadcast.
To date, the Jack Straw Writers Program has included more than 150 Pacific Northwest writers who represent a diverse range of literary genres. Writers Program participants have included legendary Litmus Inc. founder Charles Potts (2007), Seattle Poet Populist Jourdan Imani Keith (2006), Stranger Genius Award recipient for poetry John Olson (2004), Floating Bridge Press founder Peter Pereira (2001), Writers In The Schools founder Kip Robinson-Greenthal (2000), and humorist David Schmader (1998).
Jack Straw Productions gratefully acknowledges The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax Fund, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, PONCHO, ArtsFund, and individual contributors for their support of the Jack Straw Writers Program.
Copyright 2008 Jack Straw Productions ~ All rights reserved